The season of giving is now upon us — but don’t forget, it’s also the season of stealing — and no, I don’t mean your wallet or the gift package at your doorstep, but your Social Security number, credit card information, medical records and any other highly confidential information that you have stored on your computers.

Thieves want your data — the information stored in your smartphone, laptop and other devices. People are especially vulnerable to this crime when they travel. Don’t let the hustle and bustle of holiday travel detract you from protecting your data!

• Make sure your devices have updated security software.
• Remove all the sensitive data (e.g., medical records) from your device prior to travel — but not before you back it up.
• One way to protect your data is cloud backup. Protecting your data begins with keeping your computer in a safe, secure, locked location, but when you are traveling, this is simply not an option. Therefore, automatically back up data to the cloud. The third layer is to use local backups; ideally sync software that offers routine backups to an external drive.
• Before the trip, an IT expert should install disk encryption for your laptop– especially if you’ll be bringing along lots of sensitive data. If the laptop ends up in the wrong hands, the crook will see only scrambled data.
• Even with the aforementioned security measures in place, you should also use a virtual private network when conducting online transactions at public Wi-Fi spots, so that snooping hackers “see” only encrypted transmissions.
• All of the above tactics still aren’t enough. “Shoulder surfers” could visually snatch your login credentials while you’re typing away at the airport lobby or coffee shop. “Visual hackers” may also use binoculars and cameras. A privacy filter for your screen will conceal what’s on your screen. If they’re right behind youthis technology will alert you. You should use a privacy filter even when your back is to a wall.

Never let your device out of your sight, and if you must, like at a relative’s dinner gathering, lock it up.

Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft. Learn more about Carbonite Personal plans. See him discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.