AVG (AU/NZ) offers some quick online security tips for business and leisure travellers:

Today's workforce is one that is increasingly mobile and networked, with people frequently travelling interstate or overseas for business purposes. When they do so, they take their laptops and other mobile devices, which often contain sensitive business data.

Lloyd Borrett, Security Evangelist at AVG (AU/NZ), says: "When people travel, they move out of their organisation's information security firewalls, but often don't consider the risks in doing so. Research shows that free wireless public networks located in airports and other public places are ripe for exploitation by cyber criminals, thus making business and personal data vulnerable to breaches."

AVG (AU/NZ) has some tips for travellers to stay safe on their business and leisure trips:

Security Settings:
• Make sure your PC is up-to-date with r obust anti-virus or Internet security software that includes a real-time web scanner, firewall and e-mail protection.
• Ensure that you clean your devices of any spyware and malware before every trip and periodically do so even during the visit. This will reduce the risks of attacks in unsecure zones.
• Ensure that the security settings (including firewall settings) on your devices are set on high and on maximum prevention.

Wi-fi and High Speed Internet Zones:
• Be very careful what information you share in public locations. Even seemingly innocuous logins to web e-mail accounts could give hackers access to get into your more important data, especially if you're like most people and use the same password - maybe with a few variants - for almost all your online accounts.
• Turn off shared folders. If you unwittingly connect to a malicious network, a cyber criminal could easily transfer a malicious spyware agent on to your machine that could follow you and track your online activities even after you leave the public location.
• When at hotels, airports or restaurants make sure you use the secure connections offered by them.
• As far as possible, while travelling, avoid logging onto any financial web sites, or using your credit cards to conduct any transactions online, especially when in Wi-fi zones.

Data on Your Device:
• Ensure your laptops and PDAs are protected using hard drive password locking systems. Another effective tip to avoid outsiders from accessing your personal files is enabling screen-saver passwords. This will ensure that even if someone gets hold of your devices, they won't be able to access any information and data.
• Ensure that you create back-ups of all your work and personal data that you have on your devices before your expedition and keep it in a safe and secure place.

Physical theft:
& bull; Avoid carrying written copies of passwords, credit card numbers and other PINs, which can easily be lost or stolen and fall into the wrong hands.

  • Use locks, combinations, chains and other devices to avoid thefts.

• Avoid saving any personal data or confidential data on your laptop, mobile phone or PDAs so that the information doesn't fall into the hands of criminals in case of theft.
• If your laptop, phone or other portable device is stolen, make sure that you report the theft to the local police.

Borrett also warns travellers to be very careful about who they tell about their travel movements and what they post about it on social media sites.

"Thieves have been known to follow status updates on social media pages and posts on Facebook and Twitter. They could break into your home or business while you're away. Go through and properly configure the privacy settings on any social media sites you use."

"If you do all of the above, you have an excellent chance of thwarting any would-be cyber criminals or thieves who are looking for easy pickings," Borrett concludes.

AVG (AU/NZ) has a comprehensive range of security tips on its web site at http://www.avg.com.au/resources/security-tips/