Stay Safe: Experts Warn About Dangers of Sharing Vacation Pics on Social Media

Cybersecurity experts give advice on how to stay safe and enjoy a vacation without putting your home and data at risk.

According to cybersecurity experts, sharing too much information on social media while being away from home on holiday can make your property a perfect target for burglars.

We’ve all been there, sipping an exotic drink by the pool miles away from our home and routine while taking dozens of pictures to capture the precious moment. As the saying goes – “pics or it didn’t happen,” so we’re quick to post them on Facebook or Instagram for our friends to see how great we’re doing. And, let’s be honest, to brag a little bit.

However, not many holidaymakers are aware that this social activity can get them in real trouble. Uploading pictures from the beach together with sharing other private material, such as holiday plans, countdowns, and plane tickets online, is a risky matter for a good reason.

“When travelling, you want to have continuous access to the internet, but that’s not always easy. Even if there’s a coffee shop nearby with an open Wi-Fi network, you don’t want to risk exposing your device to a network you’re not sure is secure.

That’s why I’d recommend using mobile internet or eSIMs such as Saily in order to have a trustworthy connection and ensure that you don’t need to use public Wi-Fi networks you don’t trust to access the internet,” says Vykintas Maknickas, head of product strategy at Nord Security.

How can you stay safe?

While a secure internet connection is important, experts note that there are other things to be mindful of when travelling:

1. Wait until you get home to post pictures from your holiday. It’s better to hold off on posting things online while you’re away. Don’t let your followers know your home is empty at the moment.
2. Make sure your account settings are set to private. One of the most important things before posting anything online is to know who you’re sharing your information with. Make sure that your account settings are set to private and your posts are visible to your friends only instead of everyone on the internet.
3. Be careful with free public Wi-Fi. Be extra cautious when connecting to public Wi-Fi. Coffee shops, supermarkets, and even school cafeterias offer unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Hackers can easily act as free Wi-Fi hotspots or steal data from unprotected networks. Have an eSIM and use your mobile data.
4. Never share personal information on social media. Remove personal details, such as home address and telephone number, from your profile pages because they can be easily accessible to anyone. Don’t make status updates sharing your location. And never ever post photos of your passport, plane tickets, or any other documents.
5. Use a reliable eSIM service. An eSIM like Saily not only ensures a stable and secure internet connection but also helps you avoid risky public Wi-Fi networks. With Saily, you can access mobile data plans worldwide, keeping your online activities safe and private no matter where you are.