How To Protect Your Technology While Traveling

a man sitting in a chair using a laptop computer

Traveling is one way that many of us are attempting to feel less isolated and alone during the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, a certain level of caution must be exercised regarding the technology we use while we travel. Here are some ways to protect your technology and stay in check while traveling this holiday season.

Be Cautious of Your Internet Connections

A secure Internet connection is hard to come by while traveling, so you need to make sure that you are being especially cautious in places where large groups of people gather, like airports and hotels. You can never be too sure of what’s lurking on wireless networks, especially in places like the above that are not necessarily secure the way your on-premises network might be. It would be best always to use a Virtual Private Network or VPN when working remotely or outside the office.

However, it’s important to note that there is a big difference between consumer-based VPN solutions and commercial ones. Consumer-based VPNs like NordVPN, TunnelBear, and ExpressVPN might be effective for traveling, but they are not commercial solutions. They encrypt data sent over Wi-Fi but remember that you get what you pay for. If you want to secure your business’ connections, then you should be prepared to work with high-quality products like the ones WheelHouse IT recommends.

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication and Location Services on Mobile Devices

If you have ever lost a device, you know how stressful it can be. It’s even worse if you have lost it while traveling and not in the comfort of your own home. It would help if you took extra precautions in these situations to make sure that your data is protected, like enabling multi-factor authentication and location services whenever possible. This will help you protect your data and potentially even track down your device should you lose it.

Implement Mobile Device Policies

If you cannot find your device, you must have the capability to wipe all data from it as a precaution. Having device policies in place for each user on your network that might use a mobile device is a crucial step to protect your technology.

Along with this, you also want to keep in mind that doing so means that any data stored on the device will be gone for good. Therefore, this mustn’t be the only place this data is stored. All of this data should be stored on your business’ central network storage. Then, backed up regularly to prevent data loss.

WheelHouseIT wants to help your business stay safe while your employees are traveling. To learn more, reach out to us at (954) 474-2204.

Tip: Use Dark Mode to Go Easy on your Eyes

a black and yellow resume with icons on it

Staring at a bright computer screen all day can bother your eyes, especially if it’s done on a routine basis. We know that staying away from computers and devices is something that we cannot get away from in the business environment, but you can take steps to make it more manageable and easier on your eyes through Dark Mode.

Here are some ways to enable darkness mode for your Windows operating system and its applications. However, take note that most of your desktop applications will not be affected by default––only the ones associated with Microsoft and Windows. You should always check the settings for other applications, as they may have darkness mode built into them.

Enable Dark Mode for Windows

The blanket setting for dark mode in the Windows operating system can be found here: Settings > Personalization > Colors. You should see the option for dark mode under Choose Your App Mode. This does not change all of the settings for all of your applications, so be sure to check the settings for any apps you use regularly.

Enable Dark Mode for Edge

Microsoft Edge is Windows’ default web browser, so (as expected) it has a dark mode setting. You can enable it through the three-dot menu on the right side of the screen. Select Settings, navigate the drop-down menu and select Choose A Theme. From here, choose Dark.

Enable Dark Mode for Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office has a dark option that can be enabled through the settings. You can do so by opening any Office application, like Word or PowerPoint, then going to File > Options. Under the General tab, click on Personalize Your Copy of Microsoft Office. You can then set your Office theme to Black.

That’s all you need to do; dark mode should be enabled on your Microsoft products. Other applications might have extensions or add-ons that will allow it, so make sure you do a quick search to see how you can make dark mode happen for your specific applications. Just make sure they are legitimate––you don’t want to put your infrastructure at risk trying to make things more convenient for yourself.

We hope you have found this blog helpful! If so, why not share it with some of your friends or colleagues?

What are some other tips you would like to see us cover in the future? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out our weekly blogs, so you don’t miss a beat.