It’s that time of the year when most Arizonans plan to escape the brutal summer heat. And, they’ll take an average of three electronic devices with them. While people take the time to secure their homes before leaving town, many don’t realize that cyber thieves are lurking near the airports, hotels and even rental car facilities.

“Having your electronic devices hacked while you’re on vacation can spoil any great memories you had,” said Michael Cocanower, founder and president of Phoenix-based itSynergy. “People don’t realize how vulnerable they are to cybercrime when they are traveling.”

Cocanower, who has been recognized nationally and locally for his IT expertise, will share “Summer Vacation Tips” during the next free, 15-minute “Hacking the Human” webinar on Thursday, May 11 at 11:30 a.m. The webinar will cover everything from protecting privacy, safe ways to get Internet access while traveling, and what to watch out for while on a trip. Interested participants should register at online.

“People need to be careful of fake Wi-Fi networks when connecting to the Internet away from home, and they also need to protect themselves when they connect at the airport and in a hotel,” he said. “In addition, many people make the mistake of renting a car with Bluetooth, plugging their phones in and not erasing the data when they return the car. I’ll cover these topics as well as what to do if you lose your electronic devices on a trip.”

The “Hacking the Human” webinars take place at 11:30 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The webinars are geared towards non-technical end users in business at any level in the company. Each webinar provides useful tips to ward off cyberattacks and more complex social engineering schemes that result in theft and corporate espionage.