A Cyber-Safe Hajj

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

09 May 2026

5-minute read

While most of the departing hujjaj take safety as a consideration when packing and locking their bags, few people think about “being cyber-safe while travelling” for hajj.

According to Irfaan Salejie, with the changing landscape, many individuals nowadays are a lot more vulnerable as cyber criminals are everywhere and tourists are “viewed as easy targets”. Tourists are less cautious when travelling and tend to rely on unfamiliar networks that don’t have the right security systems, and device apps and payment systems, thus compromising their cell phones or laptops. When travelling, often people are rushed or stressed and don’t heed security warnings, thus revealing personal details like travel information and documents, as well as banking details. Irfaan notes that “in the 21^st century, information is currency,” and cyber criminals make money and plan their pay cheque off intercepting and sharing individual’s personal information.

Common cyber threats include fake Wi-Fi networks, malicious charging station, stolen devices and compromised travel applications. Irfaan warns against using public or open networks for anyone doing data transfers like banking, as this information is being “tracked and traced” and can be used at any time.

He shared the following tips and checks for staying cyber-safe while travelling:

Before boarding your flight, have all your software up to date
Enable multi-factor authentication on all your devices
Back up files before you leave
Ensure that you set alpha-numeric passwords and change them frequently
When accessing hotel Wi-Fi, choose the network that has a lock next to it
Encryption that requires a password is generally safer than those that do not
When forced to use open networks, do not carry out any personal tasks on them
Don’t log in to any apps when using public networks
Download a subscription-based VPN from your app store
Don’t use public-charging stations
Keep a fully charged power bank with you to charge your devices when they lose power

Irfaan says that it is “highly recommended” for avid travellers to have a travelling VPN that adds an extra layer of protection when using open networks, making it harder for strangers to intercept personal information. Certain countries have laws regarding certain sites, and a VPN will allow a user to access inaccessible sites while protecting him from being flagged. A country like Saudi especially, with their very advanced cyber-monitoring systems, can detect “when, where and what you’re doing.”

Public charging ports are also unsafe to use when travelling. Cyber criminals do something called “juice-jacking” where they use public charging ports at places like airports and train stations to connect malware that can steal all the information from your phone while it is connected to charge. If any suspicious notifications asking for permission to access information pop up on your device while it is on a public charger, decline them immediately. However, juice-jacking can also happen silently, where you may notice your screen jumping or acting frisky and instead of figuring out that you’re being hacked, you may put it down to your phone acting up because it is old or outdated. Getting rid of malware from your phone is a near impossible task, and even if you manage to restore to factory settings, your information may not back up.

Travellers are also “extremely susceptible to cloning,” says Irfaan. Cloning of sim cards, information, and even identities can happen anywhere. When you connect to WiFi points or use public charging stations, you are putting yourself at risk by giving strangers access to everything about you, like personal information and bank payments. Credit cards, even virtual ones, can be cloned. According to Irfaan, your virtual card is the best option when making payments because the CVV changes every few days. Biometrics like facial recognition and fingerprints do make it safer, but Irfaan says that they should be combined with double-layer protection like passwords or anything with a double-fail safe, because face cloning can be done via AI.

A digital traveller’s guide for the hujjaj: