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Staying connected on the move has always been the priority in mobile communications. To provide more control over access and costs, a number of mobile users have embraced the opportunity to leverage mobile VoIP. This technology not only allows for lower cost communications, it also eliminates many of the barriers that exist when users travel outside of their home country.

Case in point, my parents recently traveled with some friends to Europe, spending a considerable amount of time in Paris and Spain. On one day in particular, the men and women had separated to attend preferred sightseeing events. The women ran into difficulties getting a cab back to the hotel and ended up running later than planned. The men had attended a gallery event, but arrived to find they were lacking some of the things needed to gain full access.

In hearing the story months later, the outcome of the day was frustration and missed meetings due to a lack of communication. Not one of the adults had opted to bring a smartphone along on the trip to ensure they could stay connected if ever separated. Arranging for the use of the mobile device overseas seemed to be a challenge they weren’t willing to overcome. The biggest problem was they didn’t know mobile VoIP was an option that was very low in cost and easy to launch.

But given the security challenges mobile VoIP users have encountered as of late, it’s probably best that this group of Baby Boomers learn a little more about the technology and how to protect themselves and their devices before they attempt connected world travel. After all, it is just the first full week of 2014 and already two major brands have announced online service hacks that compromised user data. Snapchat and Skype (News - Alert) were both breached and the Syrian Electronic Army, a hacker group supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has already taken responsibility (or is it credit?) for the Skype hack.

In December we learned that our purchases at Target (News - Alert) may have left our credit card information out for the taking. And while threats to our personal payment information aren’t new, it does highlight that these threats are very real and happening to even the biggest brands. The good news is you can do something about it. You do have access to tools to make your mobile use more secure. Let’s take a look at a few tips from eWeek on how you can make your mobile VoIP experience more secure:

• Employ a password manager to store your important passwords. You only have to remember the password to get into the application so you can use unique and difficult passwords for everything else.
• Two-factor authentication can be considered a pain originally, but when you think about the added protection it provides, it really is worth the extra step to ensure your data is optimally secure.
• Change your passwords – yes, it’s a pain to do this, but the alternative is a hacker figuring out your password and getting into everything else.
• Don’t trust social networks to provide you with safe information and virus-free links. Their goal is to gather data to sell to advertisers, not ensure all information posted is real and safe to use.
• Only use reliable retail sites and keep them to a minimum. The more sites you use, the higher the risk of problems. This is especially true if you’re using them on your smartphone.
• Use only credit cards that are fraud-secure as these numbers are like golden nuggets for hackers. In fact, hackers are targeting sites continuously that keep credit card information on file – where you can’t control it. If your card isn’t protected, neither are you.

These tips apply to all of your online habits, but especially for mobile VoIP. We continuously use our smartphones for everything and the amount of information you could share with a hacker is astounding. If you want to enjoy the benefits of the service, just be aware of how to protect yourself from the threats.