10 Tips for a Safe and Secure Spring Break

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Spring has arrived, and students are gearing up to head to warmer climes and tear it up on spring break. Coming from a dad who a) tore it up a bit at that age himself and b) lives and breathes safety/security, I have a few tips—from low tech to high tech– to keep teens and twentysomethings from getting into trouble, becoming victimsorhaving their identity stolen, which—believe-me—will put a real damper on a vacation.

#1 Don’t be stupid. I know this is easier said than done. Anyone who plans a spring break trip which involves partying amongst thousands of other teens is actually planning on getting stupid. That’s not a successful plan. Make smart choices and be careful.

#2 Eat. You’re probably going to be consuming alcohol. Eat and eat often. Alcohol is poisonous; food absorbs the poison and can helpprevent you from getting sick or too intoxicated (in-toxic-ated).

#3 Moderation. Everything in moderation, including alcohol. Negative side effects of too much alcohol can mean bad hangovers or even death.

#4 Cover your drink. There are lots of idiots who think it’s fun and funny to drug people by slipping drugs into drinks. Get your own drink and cover it up with your hand or a napkin.

#5 Use the buddy system. Never leave a friend alone, especially if he or she is inebriated.

#6 Use a designated driver. Seriously. Or cab it.

#7 Watch out for aggressive people. It is a sad fact that too much alcohol makes men get aggressive and women sometimes become vulnerable. Beware of this and don’t become a Spring Break statistic.

#8 Protect your wallet. Cash, credit cards, IDs, etc. should go in your front pocket. Have a photocopy of everything accessible online.

#9 Locate/Lost/Wipe. Install software to locate or wipe a lost mobile device, and make sure it’s password protected.

#10 WiFi security. Whether on a mobile, tablet or laptop, you’re going to be connected to the internet at some point. And just like there are predators out there waiting for you to slip up so they can take advantage of you, there are criminal hackers looking to swipe your wireless data and access your accounts to steal your identity. Download Hotspot Shield VPN for your iOS, Android, PC and Mac to encrypt all your wireless internet traffic.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield VPN. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.