If you have the privilege to travel, it can be one of the great joys of life. But with the increasing number of cyberthreats, travel can put us in vulnerable situations. These can range from phishing attacks trying to get your card info to thieves grabbing your wallet and documents if you fall asleep on the plane, to more technical hacks.

To help us all think about this is traveler extraordinaire and credit card whiz Jax Reyes. I was lucky enough that Microsoft connected us because Jax is part of the Copilot Creator Collective. When the conversation started we both shared our excitement about the coming season, and Jax said, "The Ber months means maraming promo, maraming travel." So here’s how Jax thinks we can be safer as we enjoy all the travel.

Jax’s first recommendation doesn’t sound like a big cybersecurity step, but it really will help. In fact, it helps so much that a lot of us are probably already doing it. "Get yourself a small pouch where you put your passport, your phone, and then your wallet, and all of your different cash."

It seems obvious to me, but it makes even more sense when Jax shares, "You see a lot of news right now, where business class passengers [have items stolen], or sometimes, even the crew was in connivance with a passenger," and "Even when you're sleeping, they might open your bag, or even if it's in the overhead compartment."

I shared that I remembered in the olden days of travel, people would have little cash pouches they would hang around their necks or hide in their underwear, And such a pouch really serves today’s user, making sure the most important things are as close to you as possible.

Alongside this Jax recommends an almost-nesting doll-like approach to keeping your stuff. "I keep things separate. So my cards are in a separate wallet or a pouch. All my cash is in a separate pouch as well... I usually have three pouches. My debit cards I use to withdraw... my smaller bills, the local currency... and then my backup card and backup money."

I note that this physical security is essential because if someone gets ahold of your cards, then you are definitely in trouble. So preventing losing them and making sure you know where they are at all times is important and made easier by the pouch or pouches.

We touch on the question of RFID protection, as there have been reports of RFID skimming more in Europe and less so in Asia. But the jury seems to be out on how big a threat it really is. On this Jax says, “"If you have it, why not… (it’s) a small piece of protection, (an) added layer of security." So if you already have a pouch or wallet or some other blocker, then there’s no harm in keeping your cards in it. If you’re buying a travel pouch anyway, it can’t hurt to get one with an RFID blocker pocket.

Then we go to his most critical pre-travel tip: lock your credit cards. If you’re going to be in the air, and if you aren’t going to use certain cards anyway, best to lock them. It’s probably easy enough to use your banking app to do this, but this makes sure that while you are up in the air, there’s no way that transactions are getting put on your cards.

As for the cards, Jax advises, “What I always say is always have two credit cards at the very least. Always have a Visa and a Mastercard." This makes sure that if you encounter problems with one, you’ll have the other. And if one gets compromised, heaven forbid, you will have a backup.

Once you've arrived at your destination, Jax emphasizes maintaining your data security. "I always recommend to either do roaming, or just buy your own eSIM. Have your own data," he says. To this I add my own note, which is that these are always better than trying to connect to Wi-Fi that you might not necessarily trust. And if you are going to be accessing your bank accounts or apps, make sure that you are doing so on trusted networks.

He goes further with physical security for charging: "I even have my own charging devices. Even my own cables. So I will always look for a power outlet. If I use my power outlet, then I use my power bank. So no plugging in any of those USBs." There have been cases of people plugging in and getting hacked through tampered airport charging terminals, so this is good advice.

For those handling sensitive work while traveling, Reyes recommends a VPN subscription. "If you do have your own VPN, I have my own VPN... because in other countries, we cannot avoid to not connect to their Wi-Fi. So at least I have another layer of protection."

And in another note on physical security, Jax shares about ATM withdrawals, “"I would always prefer you to go to an ATM that is highly visible... go to one that is inside a branch... in the morning, and try to not withdraw also at night." The exchange rates and transfer fees will likely be the same no matter where you withdraw, so you might as well do it somewhere that’s definitely safe, like a mall, an actual branch, or even the airport.

Reyes strongly advocates for using credit cards over debit cards or cash when traveling, particularly for security reasons. When fraud occurs, "if you look at cash and debit, that's your money," he explains. Recovery can take 30 to 60 days, "and there's a lot of times where because of fraudulent transaction, the bank does not return it to you right away."

With credit cards, "it's the bank's money, so you're using the reverse... this is shifting the risk to the bank instead of to you. I don't feel that bad, because whenever we use our credit card, the bank earns from merchant fees."

Interestingly, Reyes believes Filipinos may already have an advantage: "We already have the fundamental and the baseline of how to protect... we're feisty as well. Other citizens, their alert level is lower than us. Our default alertness is higher."

His advice? Adjust your vigilance to your destination. "When I'm in Japan, I'm okay to have a tote bag. When I'm in Singapore, tote bag is okay. But I remember when I went to Europe, I used a sling bag because of all the horror stories that we hear."

The goal isn't paranoia—it's preparation. With proper security measures in place, you can focus on what matters most: enjoying your trip. As Reyes sums it up: "That's the whole point of security... it's nice to have it. You might as well take extra measures, because you can just focus on having fun."