Caution: When Traveling, Never Post This on Your Social Media

When we're having exciting adventures, it's natural to want to share them on social media. However, for your safety, there are certain things you should never post.

Traveling is one of life's greatest joys. Planning trips, booking hotels, and counting down the days to takeoff fills us with anticipation. When the big day finally arrives, many of us can't wait to share the experience online. But doing so comes with serious risks.

This warning was highlighted in a recent Condé Nast Traveler article, featuring an interview with private investigator Bill Fitzgerald. According to the expert, one should be especially cautious about posting photos of boarding passes on social media. This small piece of paper contains far more personal information than you might think.

If you look closely at a boarding pass, you'll notice details such as the passenger's name, flight number, origin, destination, and seat assignment. However, the real risk lies in the barcode, which holds much more sensitive data than you'd expect.

The information stored in a boarding pass barcode varies by airline, but it often includes passport data, contact information, and other personal identifiers. Sharing this code online can allow someone with minimal technical skills to access all that information. The risk is very real. In March 2020, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott posted a photo of his boarding pass on Instagram. From this single image, an attacker was able to extract his phone number and passport number. Fortunately, the data wasn't exploited, and the attacker alerted the prime minister's team to the security flaw, according to Mark Sacrano, information security manager at cybersecurity firm Cobalt.

In addition to advising against posting boarding pass barcodes online, Fitzgerald also recommends tearing up the document into several pieces before disposing of it. Even discarded boarding passes can be dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands. Shredding them ensures that no one can recover your personal information and misuse it.

Moreover, it's important to apply this caution to other documents and photos you share while traveling. Hotel bookings, car rental receipts, and even luggage tags often contain personal data that can be exploited by identity thieves or cyber criminals. Being mindful of what you share on social media will help keep your travels safe and secure.