Most Indians on holiday can't spend a day sans emails: Survey

Even while on vacation, more than half of Indians find it hard to spend a day without checking their work or personal email, shows a survey by cyber security firm McAfee.

More than a quarter (29 per cent) admitted to checking their email consistently throughout the day, found the survey which was conducted to understand the behaviour and attitudes of consumers when on vacation, and how digital habits could be putting their personal information at risk.

The survey found that despite the benefits experienced from unplugging, most individuals prefer to stay connected.

More than half of the Indians on holiday (60 per cent) indicated that they spend at least an hour a day using their connected devices to check email, text and post to social media while on vacation.

"Vacations can be an ideal opportunity to take a break from connected devices, but most Indians are struggling to do so," said Venkat Krishnapur, Vice President of Engineering and Managing Director at McAfee.

But when individuals put convenience over security by using unsecured Wi-Fi access points, they leave themselves open to the possibility of having their personal information compromised.

"Our study reveals, almost three in four Indians rely on unsecured Wi-Fi during their vacations to connect with family, friends, work and social media, increasing their exposure to prying cybercriminals," Krishnapur said.

"To avoid being compromised, it becomes even more important for travellers to exercise caution and rely on technology to stay safe online across all devices," he added.

The survey involved over 1,500 people between ages 18 and 55 who use a connected device daily.

Sharing tips to stay safe during vacation, McAfee said that it is important to avoid using public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks.

If you must connect to a public Wi-Fi network, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) which will keep your information private and ensure that data goes straight from your device to where you are connecting, the Santa Clara, California-headquartered company said.

--IANS

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