Shore excursions are the highlights of a cruise. Exploring a different port city every day, discovering a new country and an interesting culture is only possible on a cruise. When going ashore, people like to take the opportunity to check emails or surf the Internet. However, public WiFi poses some avoidable risks.
Rio de Janeiro-Copacabana
Avoiding risks from insecure networks
Internet is available in the countries that cruise ships regularly visit. Using public WiFi is also free, making it a supposedly cheaper alternative to internet access on the ship. Open WiFi hotspots can usually be found in shopping centers, cafes, restaurants, train stations, airports and other public places. If you use these, it often only becomes apparent afterwards that the networks were unsafe. Publicly accessible WiFi in particular is particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks. Users who are not careful may inadvertently reveal sensitive personal data such as passwords or bank details. When you go ashore, the temptation is great to quickly share a few messages or photos with friends and acquaintances via social networks.
The situation is different when surfing via a virtual private network, in short VPN which creates secure connections and encrypts data traffic. To protect yourself from data spying, it is advisable not to access private documents or bank details when doing online activities in public areas.
Do not disclose confidential information
The hours when the cruise ship is docked in a port city can be spent in many different ways. The time is often used to call family members who stayed at home or research on the Internet, for example about excursion options. When a smartphone or laptop logs into a public WiFi connection, the content is transmitted unencrypted. This makes it easy for hackers to read the data traffic and gain access to confidential information. Data thieves are now so skilled that they are able to break into computer systems to analyze data and passwords.
Internet activities in the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal
Another common method that is now widespread around the world is "WiFi honeypots". These are fake Wi-Fi hotspots that cannot be distinguished from real Wi-Fi networks at first glance. Caution is particularly advisable in public places. Mobile devices such as smartphones automatically connect to the Wi-Fi network. There are lots of people out and about in large squares, shopping streets and parks. Personal data is inadvertently accessible to third parties. Private access data is transmitted over the Wi-Fi network. It is therefore advisable to only log into public Wi-Fi if it is really necessary.
Safe surfing on the Internet is also possible on cruises
When surfing the Internet in a café or restaurant, you should make sure that you only access encrypted websites. These are linked to Internet addresses, that start with "https://", recognizable. If you pay attention to a few details when doing online activities, you can protect your own privacy and ensure that your cruise becomes a dream vacation.
For a shore excursion, a few items that can easily fit in a backpack are sufficient. For example, you should take your boarding pass and sufficient drinking water for the journey, sunglasses, sunscreen and a camera. Depending on the excursion, a beach towel or sturdy shoes are recommended. If the shore leave lasts the whole day, it is advisable to take snacks from the ship for in-between meals.