CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The number of adults using Airbnb is forecasted to exceed 45 million this year.
While vacation home rentals expand lodging options for travelers, they’re not entirely without risk.
“When you're out at a summer vacation home or rental home, sometimes you act differently than when you're at a hotel or some other type of guest room and it's one of those things where you have to still keep your guard up. Digitally, there's a lot of information you have that's going to be transacted while you're at that home. You're going to be working potentially in it, you're going to have devices that you interact with. There are lots of different things that you have to be mindful of,” said Dr. Chris Pierson. Pierson is the CEO of BlackCloak, a cybersecurity company that protects the personal and financial lives of high-profile figures, including celebrities, politicians, and corporate executives.
Here are 3 home rental risks to watch out for, according to Pierson:
1) Hidden cameras or recording devices
“You want to make sure you don't have cameras on the inside (of the home), especially in private areas,” Pierson said.
The problem is, by design, hidden cameras are made to look nothing like a camera so they’re difficult to detect without some added help.
So how can you detect hidden cameras? Pierson said, "one of the ways that you can do that is by going in and looking at the router and seeing if there are other devices that are plugged in.” Pierson continued, “People can go on to Amazon.com and buy different hidden camera finders that put out a splash of light that reflects off the camera lens so you can tell if there is a hidden camera inside that home."
2) Electronic door locks
Typing in a code provided by the homeowner instead of carrying around a key can be convenient, but it might not offer the best protection.
That’s because keyless entry codes might not be changed from one occupant to the next.
"Is that code the same code as they give everyone? The people that were just there before you? The same people that were there last year? Does that expose you or your family to other risks? Can you ask for the folks that you're renting from to change the code during the week that you're there? They can change it back when you're done," Pierson said.
3) Logging into shared devices
Vacation homes are often equipped with streaming devices and/or apps you can log into during your stay using your personal account details, but what happens if you forget to log out?
Pierson said given access to your streaming accounts can have major consequences, “that’s tied to more than just buying movies, right? It's tied to your entire private digital life if it's Amazon, your viewing history, and what you're doing so act very, very responsibly and safely." The bottom line?
"Have fun on vacation, have fun on your stays, but do so with your digital risks in mind," warned Pierson.
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