Canadian government suggests ways to protect your data while travelling

The Canadian government is offering some advice to those travelling with electronic devices during the holiday season.

In a release from Global Affairs Canada, the feds provide a variety of tips for travellers, including:

• Being cautious when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.
• Securing devices with passwords, fingerprints and/or antivirus.
• Backing up data to the cloud in case you lose your devices.
• Buying local SIMs from official sellers only.
• Taking care to only scan public QR codes from legitimate sources, like a restaurant.
• Double-checking the digital laws of the country you’re in, especially since they could vary from Canada’s.

While some of this might seem obvious, it’s still good to keep in mind and even pass along to older friends and family who aren’t as aware.

It’s also worth noting that the U.S. government’s recently unveiled (ridiculous) plans to screen visitors’ social media history don’t apply to the vast majority of Canadians. That said, there are some with specific visas who might be affected.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Global Affairs Canada