<p>More than 52% Indians in a survey said they could not last a day without checking their work or personal email, while 57% said they felt anxiety over being unplugged.<br /><br />The survey conducted by tech firm McAfee — which comes ahead of the winter holidays — was to better understand consumer behaviour when on vacation and how digital habits could be putting their personal information at risk.<br /><br />It found that despite the benefits experienced from unplugging, most individuals said they preferred to stay connected.<br /><br />More than a quarter (29%) admitted to checking their email consistently throughout the day.<br /><br />In fact, about 60% indicated that they spend at least an hour a day using their connected devices to check emails, texts and post to social media while on vacation.<br /><br />Interestingly, while people were willing to leave behind their laptops (72%), only 40% said they would be willing to leave their smartphone at home.<br /><br />Vacation can be an ideal opportunity to take a break from connected devices but most Indians are struggling to do so, said McAfee vice president Engineering and managing director Venkat Krishnapur.<br /><br />“Our study reveals that almost three in four Indians (74%) rely on unsecured Wi-Fi during their vacations to connect with family, friends, work and social media, increasing their exposure to prying cybercriminals,” he added.<br /><br />He added that 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.<br /><br />The study — which included 1,504 people in India — found 67% saying they would prefer to stay unplugged during a vacation if work were not a factor.<br /><br />More than half revealed they have felt anxiety over being unplugged with 86% saying they avoid unplugging to be reachable by family and friends.<br /><br />McAfee suggested that users ensure they connect to Internet through a secure connection, especially while travelling and avoid using public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks.<br /><br />Besides, they should ensure their devices’ operating system and applications are updated as old versions could leave them open to potential security vulnerabilities.<br />It also advised using a device locating app.<br /><br />“If you lose your connected device, especially on a vacation, it can be difficult to recover. Location applications can help you find, lock and even erase your devices data in the event of theft or loss,” it said.<br /><br />Staying connected<br /><br />29% admitted to checking their email consistently throughout the day.<br /><br />60% spend at least an hour a day using their connected devices<br /><br />Only 40% willing to leave their smartphone at home.<br /><br />86% say they avoid unplugging to be reachable by family and friends.</p>
<p>More than 52% Indians in a survey said they could not last a day without checking their work or personal email, while 57% said they felt anxiety over being unplugged.<br /><br />The survey conducted by tech firm McAfee — which comes ahead of the winter holidays — was to better understand consumer behaviour when on vacation and how digital habits could be putting their personal information at risk.<br /><br />It found that despite the benefits experienced from unplugging, most individuals said they preferred to stay connected.<br /><br />More than a quarter (29%) admitted to checking their email consistently throughout the day.<br /><br />In fact, about 60% indicated that they spend at least an hour a day using their connected devices to check emails, texts and post to social media while on vacation.<br /><br />Interestingly, while people were willing to leave behind their laptops (72%), only 40% said they would be willing to leave their smartphone at home.<br /><br />Vacation can be an ideal opportunity to take a break from connected devices but most Indians are struggling to do so, said McAfee vice president Engineering and managing director Venkat Krishnapur.<br /><br />“Our study reveals that almost three in four Indians (74%) rely on unsecured Wi-Fi during their vacations to connect with family, friends, work and social media, increasing their exposure to prying cybercriminals,” he added.<br /><br />He added that 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.<br /><br />The study — which included 1,504 people in India — found 67% saying they would prefer to stay unplugged during a vacation if work were not a factor.<br /><br />More than half revealed they have felt anxiety over being unplugged with 86% saying they avoid unplugging to be reachable by family and friends.<br /><br />McAfee suggested that users ensure they connect to Internet through a secure connection, especially while travelling and avoid using public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks.<br /><br />Besides, they should ensure their devices’ operating system and applications are updated as old versions could leave them open to potential security vulnerabilities.<br />It also advised using a device locating app.<br /><br />“If you lose your connected device, especially on a vacation, it can be difficult to recover. Location applications can help you find, lock and even erase your devices data in the event of theft or loss,” it said.<br /><br />Staying connected<br /><br />29% admitted to checking their email consistently throughout the day.<br /><br />60% spend at least an hour a day using their connected devices<br /><br />Only 40% willing to leave their smartphone at home.<br /><br />86% say they avoid unplugging to be reachable by family and friends.</p>