Cybersecurity While Traveling: Tips and Tricks

How to keep your computer and other devices secure while traveling

These are some cybersecurity musts when traveling with your connected devices.

1. Password-lock your devices.

Always make sure your devices are locked and password-protected. Should your device be lost or stolen, your first line of defense is a strong password. Even simple storage devices like your USB thumb drive should have a password.

2. Enable 2FA or MFA.

If possible, enable two-factor (2FA) or multifactor (MFA) authentication on your devices. On top of a password, use a credential system that requires you to insert an unlocking USB device or a biometric lock, assuming that’s a feature on the device.

3. Encrypt your data.

If you’re traveling with sensitive data on your laptop, it’s best to fully encrypt your device with disk encryption software. This locks your data behind more authentication factors and encrypts it. This way, if it falls into the wrong hands, they can’t strong-arm their way through to the disk. The data is scrambled and impossible to decipher without the password. [Read next: How to Buy a Secure Business Laptop.]

Ideally, you shouldn’t store sensitive data on your device. Instead, access it through the cloud over an encrypted connection, such as a cloud access security broker (CASB).

“Don’t store sensitive work data on a mobile device, period,” said Mendy Newman, Senior Sales Engineer for the Ericom Cybersecurity Business Unit of Cradlepoint. “Mobile devices can easily fall into the wrong hands, where they are subject to tampering by sophisticated cybercriminals who are only too happy to sell that data to the highest bidder. Instead, data should remain securely within the corporate data center and accessed remotely over an encrypted connection that protects the session from prying eyes, even when using public Wi-Fi.”

4. Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth auto-connect.

A feature on many laptops and mobile phones is an auto-connect option for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. Make sure this is off, as you don’t want to auto-connect to just any Wi-Fi connection you pass. Most public Wi-Fi connections are unsecured, and some can be set up for malicious purposes to gain access or download malware to your device.

Tip: Before traveling, back up your sensitive or critical information on an external device or to the cloud. Then ensure you have the latest version of all of your software applications.

How mobile device management helps with cybersecurity

If you have multiple employees who frequently travel with devices, a mobile device management solution (MDM) can help you keep track of those devices and make sure they remain secure. Most solutions include features to keep onboarded devices safe from unauthorized usage, access to work-related data and networks.

These solutions can give you remote control and monitoring of your devices, allowing you to enforce certain policies on devices. You can even impose certain controls for employees’ personal devices used for work by segregating company data and personal data.

These remote features allow you to keep a log of where the device has been used and every time it’s accessed. If the device becomes lost or stolen, you’ll know where the device has last been used and if there was a failed login attempt. You can also remotely lock the device or even wipe the data from the device if it’s especially sensitive.

How to use VPNs for added security protection

Using public, unsecured Wi-Fi is risky and not recommended. While traveling, you may depend on free Wi-Fi offered at restaurants and other places, but it is generally a bad idea to connect with your work device to any open, unlocked Wi-Fi. 

For one thing, other users on that network may be eavesdropping on your activity. In some cases, the entire Wi-Fi network is set up by would-be identity thieves and cybercriminals looking to skim data from unsuspecting travelers. In other situations, it would be prudent to conceal your activity from oppressive or meddling government organizations that may be looking to gain an unfair advantage for local competitors.

How does a VPN work?

When traveling, make an investment in setting up a virtual private network (VPN) service on your computer. A VPN is a service through an app or browser that acts like a proxy server, creating an encrypted connection between your device and your work’s network. 

A VPN works in two ways. First, it encrypts your data into gibberish while it is in transit online and then translates it back on the other side. Second, the VPN funnels your data through a server somewhere else, masking your location. Using a VPN makes connecting to the hotel Wi-Fi so much safer.

The encryption of a VPN prevents your sensitive data from being snatched by bad actors. The location masking protects you from local cyberthieves and eavesdroppers, and allows you to access websites that may be blocked by the local government. This becomes important when traveling to countries with repressive governments, many of which block social media and other sites they feel dissidents can use for organizing or exchanging information. 

“VPNs are the ideal cybersecurity tool for remote and traveling workforces,” said Keri Lindenmuth, marketing director for tech consulting company KDG. “They encrypt data in transit, meaning any files or data transferred between a remote employee and team members at the main office can’t be seen or stolen by third parties.” 

Even if your connection to your company network or cloud service is intercepted by hackers, it will be scrambled and unusable.

How much does a VPN cost? 

VPNs are services, and they charge a monthly fee usually ranging from $4.95 to $12.95 per month — depending on how many devices are simultaneously connected. Some VPN providers have free versions with limitations, such as the amount of data that can be sent per month, while other providers offer free trials of their paid VPNs. Still others require you to pay upfront but offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are dissatisfied. 

Top VPN providers

At Business News Daily, we have done the work of checking out VPN providers. Here are some of our reviews of the best VPNs.

• ExpressVPN: With servers in 105 countries, this company is sure to have a server near you. It uses a protocol that provides plenty of speed, especially on downloads, promising 80% of its global bandwidth already runs on 10Gbps servers. 
• NordVPN: NordVPN uses a double VPN along with obfuscated servers to give you extra privacy, even in countries that restrict the use of private networks. They have a huge network of over 6,000 servers in 111 countries and have been certified by Price Waterhouse Cooper twice as not keeping logs. 
• IPVanish VPN: IPVanish has affordable rates with an annual plan starting at $2.19 per month. It is also one of the only VPN services to give you coverage for unlimited devices with a subscription.
• PureVPN: This VPN service works with multiple protocols such as PPTP, IPsec, L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN (TCP and UDP) and SSTP. It also has an option to specify an IP address in the U.S., U.K., Netherlands, France or Germany. 

Rethinking cybersecurity while traveling

Cybersecurity is complex. It is easy to get overwhelmed by threats, defenses, and potential software leading to paralysis analysis. However, even small improvements in security can yield substantial results. 

Cybersecurity while traveling does not need to be overly difficult. Instead, by focusing on a few key methods of protection — data encryption, mobile device management, and VPNs — travelers can protect themselves from the majority of cyberthreats they may encounter. No security strategy is guaranteed to be 100% effective; however, these steps will go a long way towards protecting against the most common cyberattacks. 

Jennifer Dublino contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.