Have you thought about a safe route? What Tourists Need to Know About Cyber Threats

Are you going to travel around the country or abroad? Do not forget about digital risks and cyber threats. We talk about the most relevant schemes of deception in Belarus and such hot countries as Turkey and Egypt.

From October 2025 to June 2026, experts from one of the largest cybersecurity companies recorded 19.1 million web threats in Belarus – spam emails, malware, phishing, etc. Especially relevant are the threats associated with public Wi-Fi networks – for example, in airports, hotels, cafes and shopping centers. Attackers can create fake access points to intercept traffic, steal user credentials and payment information.

Tourists who choose to travel to Turkey and Egypt, where 30.6 million and 15.6 million web threats are recorded, can also face digital risks.

In addition to fake Wi-Fi points, travelers lie in wait for the cloning of bank cards, unauthorized transactions and skimming – the installation of hidden devices on ATMs to steal bank card data. The danger is especially great in public places - nightclubs and tourist areas.

Another common threat in the region is fake tour operators and hotels. Scammers lure tourists with discounts on accommodation, transfers and excursions, masquerading as legal companies with the help of convincing sites, advertising in social networks and messages in messengers, and then ask for an advance payment for services. As a result, tourists risk losing both money and personal data.

- Traveling to a new city or country is always a vivid experience, but along with the opportunities there are risks: attackers actively use the tourist fuss to steal data or money. To reduce the risk of deception will help attentiveness and knowledge of the typical tricks of scammers – this will help to notice alarm signals in time, experts say. Modern solutions help to strengthen protection – for example, AI technologies are increasingly used in them to quickly detect phishing, suspicious payment pages and other threats. It does not matter where you travel – in your homeland or a new country, the main thing is to keep a critical mind and not to succumb to overly tempting offers. Anywhere, even ordinary activities such as booking a home or buying tickets can hide digital traps: fake sites that mimic popular services, or “beneficial” offers in instant messengers, the purpose of which is to lure payment data. Taking a conscious approach to every online transaction and checking resources against open reliability indicators is half the protection. And modern tools with AI analytics help cut off threats even before the user has time to click on a dangerous link.

To help travelers explore the world with more confidence, seek the advice of competent staff from more than 20 countries to travel to different parts of the world, from Belarus to Japan, as well as ways to protect yourself from cyber threats in each of the regions.

To reduce risks during travel, experts recommend:

use only official resources for ticket purchases and bookings and carefully check websites before entering any data on them;

withdraw cash only in ATMs at bank branches, check the card receiver and keyboard - whether they have unnecessary patches, hidden cameras or other suspicious details. During any payments, the card should not be left out of sight. It is also recommended to enable transaction notifications and immediately block the card in case of suspicious activity;

Be critical of any incoming letters. Before clicking on the link or opening the attachment, carefully check the address of the sender;

Disable automatic connection to available Wi-Fi networks on your devices. Use mobile internet whenever possible, especially for sensitive data transfers;

Use eSIM to access the Internet abroad. Digital SIM cards are better activated through official applications – this eliminates the need to purchase physical media;

use a reliable protective solution, the effectiveness of which is confirmed by independent studies.

protas@sb.by