Plan.Meet.Repeat March April 2019 Issue book meet repeat march april | Page 12

Anyone who is bent on causing harm to others will try
to maximize the damage and loss of life, so simply by
avoiding areas where lots of people congregate is
something you can begin to practice as a way to
improve your safety no matter where you are.
Unfortunately, most airports have large concentrations
of people throughout the building, especially the long
lines at checkpoints, when getting on the plane, or
when going through customs on international flights.
Get through these areas as quickly as possible, and
then follow the guidelines above to maximize your
safety.
While you’re in the airport you will probably have
some time to spend waiting for your flight. Most
people will make use of the airport’s free wifi service
to write, check email, crunch numbers, watch videos,
catch up on social media, or watch movies. There is a
huge problem with this, and that is when you log onto
a free wifi network, you are opening up everything
you do to any hackers who are lurking on the network
monitoring those users who are logging in with
unsecured connections.
If you are simply using the unsecured network to
watch videos, conduct research, read the newspaper,
or other non-secure communications, that isn’t a
problem. What is a huge problem is when you log into
any accounts you may have over an unsecured wifi
connection. Since any data can be read, whatever you
log into can be read including your username and
password.
Once the hacker has your login
information, they are then able to compromise your
identity, your finances, your medical records, your
online reputation and pretty much anything you have
done while on the unsecured wifi network. Open
networks are huge security risks. Get in the habit of not
connecting to any open WiFi network.
You may opt to use a secure VPN (Virtual Private
Network) to connect to your email or log remotely into
your PC from your laptop, tablet or smartphone.
Many companies use VPNs to help secure their
corporate networks, but you can use a VPN even if
you’re running a one-person company.
12
Plan Meet Repeat Magazine March/April 2019
For more information, reference the first installment of
this series or take some time on your own to learn more.
Another risk to your well-being is the large
concentration of viruses and germs around the airport
and of course, in the plane itself. There is also the
potential for a biological agent to be released by
terrorists in an airport or on an airplane. This is a place
that could enable anything from a common cold, to the
flu, to a biological attack to be carried out, and not even
know about it for hours or even days. Many travelers
know how easy it is to get sick when traveling and
passing though areas that have high numbers of people
in confined areas such as airplanes.
In order to protect yourself, refrain from touching
anything you absolutely don’t have to such as
handrails, door handles and railings, use your arm or
back or your hand to push open doors, use copious
amounts of hand sanitizer, and wash your hands
frequently. Try to keep from touching your face – don’t
rub your eyes, wipe or pick your nose, bite your
fingernails or put your fingers in your mouth. Practice
good hygiene, and hope that your fellow travelers do
as well. There is no way to ensure you stay 100%
healthy, but the last thing you want is to get sick on
your way to an important event! I’m not saying you
need to wear a face mask as we often see many people
in Japan do, but now you know their reason why – to
stay as healthy as they possibly can when surrounded
by people everywhere they go in their highly
concentrated cities and public transportation.
Next we’ll address the potential threats at our hotel
and then it’s on to the convention center! Until next
time…stay safe!
Pete Canavan, Personal Safety
Expert
https://PeteCanavan.com
LinkedIn: mrpete
Twitter: @pjcpete
YouTube: BestSuccessTraining