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6 Network Security Tips f...
August 19, 2021
Packing for a business trip is stressful enough without worrying about a data breach. But for an attacker, your team's travel itinerary is a map of opportunities. A distracted executive on airport Wi-Fi is a prime target, carrying a different level of risk than an intern on social media. Standard security advice often misses this crucial context. That's why we're moving beyond the basics. These aren't your average cybersecurity travel tips. We'll show you how to apply predictive intelligence to your travel cybersecurity strategy, protecting your people and your data wherever they go.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused most of us to push back our trips, but with more and more Americans getting vaccinated, it might finally be time for that rescheduled or newly booked getaway!
Yet despite the excitement, many of us are still cautious and feeling a little rusty getting back in the travel swing. Between worrying about mask etiquette in the airport and our actual plans when we land, most of us are thinking about just about everything except our cybersecurity ...
Cybercriminals know this all too well and are using sneaky ways to scam us—like shoulder surfing on our screens or swiping our banking information—so we thought a few relevant travel tips were in order.
Let’s make sure your next trip is super fun and super secure with these cybersecurity travel safety tips:
Preparing for Your Trip: A Pre-Travel Cybersecurity Checklist
Just as you wouldn't leave for a trip without packing your suitcase, you shouldn't depart without securing your digital life. A little preparation goes a long way in preventing a travel nightmare, especially since cybercriminals specifically target travelers who are often distracted and using unfamiliar networks. Think of this as your pre-flight check for cybersecurity. By taking these proactive steps, you can significantly reduce your risk and prevent an incident before it has a chance to happen. This checklist will help you lock down your devices, protect your data, and stay secure so you can focus on enjoying your time away from the office.
Audit and Update Your Devices
Before you even think about packing your charging cables, take stock of the electronics you plan to bring. The fewer devices you travel with, the smaller your potential attack surface becomes. Do you really need your work laptop and your personal tablet? Limiting what you carry means fewer things to lose or have stolen. For the devices you do bring, ensure all software and applications are fully updated. These updates often contain critical security patches that protect you from the latest malware and vulnerabilities. It’s a simple but powerful step in preventing an incident before it happens.
Secure Your Data and Your Access
Your devices are replaceable, but your data isn't. Before you leave, back up your important files, photos, and contacts to a secure cloud service or an external drive that you leave at home. This ensures that even if a device is lost or stolen, your information is safe. Next, enable 'Find My Device' features on all your electronics. This not only helps you locate a misplaced phone but also gives you the ability to remotely wipe its data if it falls into the wrong hands. Finally, lock every device with a strong, unique PIN or password. It’s your first line of defense against anyone trying to gain unauthorized access.
1. Is That Booking Site Legit? Check the URL
That’s right! Your cybersecurity readiness starts before you even start packing and get movin’. From the moment you decide to book, it’s important to stay alert.
Before entering any personal information on a travel domain, look for clear signs of foul play like misspellings in the web address or missing security features. Spoofed sites can be disguised to look like reputable businesses and trick you! Analyze the URL to look for easily missed typos like an extra “e” in Airebnb.com. This is an instant indicator the website is fake. Even if the web address spelling looks trustworthy, look for “HTTPS” in the URL; the “s” stands for secure and means that your info is being encrypted. That’s exactly what you want.
But just because a website has that special “s” doesn’t guarantee it’s safe! About 40% of fraudulent sites have SSL certificates now, so this is no longer the be-all-end-all anymore. A padlock on the left of the website URL assures you that you’re visiting a secure site, but you still need to keep your guard up to determine if a site is safe.
2. That "Amazing" Travel Deal Might Be a Scam
As travel restrictions begin to lift, travel prices may be lower than they used to be. But while some are legitimate, others are not! Scammers are setting up fake listings to steal your hard-earned money for non-existent reservations. Ask yourself, “Is this too good to be true?” If so, it probably is.
3. Why You Shouldn't Trust Every Travel Ad
When you do a Google search for travel information, have you noticed that the first few results are usually paid advertisements? Travel websites pay for this prime real estate at the top of the search engine result page, but this doesn’t mean they’re legitimate sources. The same goes for social media advertisements! Anyone can pay for an ad ...
On the search engine results page, look for the same misspelling red flags in the linked URL by hovering over the top of the ad where the URL is listed, without clicking anything. Scrutinize the ad copy to spot odd wording or mistakes. When in doubt, do your research and read some reviews about the website before giving away your personal information or purchasing anything.
Back Up Your Data
Before you leave, make sure your important files are backed up somewhere other than the device you’re carrying. A lost, stolen, or damaged phone is an inconvenience, but losing irreplaceable photos and critical documents can be a disaster. The National Cybersecurity Alliance recommends you “ensure all photos and documents are backed up to the cloud or an external drive.” Using a cloud service like iCloud or Google Drive, or a physical external hard drive, creates a secure copy of your data. This way, if something happens to your device on the road, your information remains safe and accessible from another machine.
Update All Software and Operating Systems
Think of software updates as your digital immune system. They don’t just add new features; they often contain critical security patches that fix vulnerabilities discovered since the last release. Cybercriminals actively look for devices running outdated software because these weaknesses are well-known and easy to exploit. As North Carolina's Department of Information Technology puts it, “Make sure your phone, tablet, and laptop software and apps are up-to-date. This helps them fight off bad software (malware).” Taking a few minutes to run all available updates before you travel is a simple, proactive step to prevent attackers from using known exploits against you.
Enable Device Tracking and Security Features
Losing a device is stressful enough without worrying about your data falling into the wrong hands. Modern smartphones, tablets, and laptops have powerful built-in tools to help you in this exact scenario. Before your trip, take a moment to set up features like 'Find My Device' to help you locate, lock, or erase a lost device. These services use GPS to show your device’s location on a map. More importantly, they allow you to remotely lock the screen with a new passcode or, in a worst-case scenario, completely wipe all personal data, ensuring your private information stays private.
Reduce the Data You Carry
The less sensitive data you travel with, the lower the risk. Before you pack your bags, do a digital clean-up of your devices. Go through your files and apps and ask yourself if you truly need them for the trip. The National Cybersecurity Alliance advises travelers to “remove sensitive, non-essential data from devices.” This is especially critical for anyone traveling with corporate devices. Removing confidential client files, financial records, or internal strategy documents from your laptop minimizes the potential damage if the device is compromised. If the data isn’t there, it can’t be stolen.
Prepare for Multi-Factor Authentication Challenges
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a fantastic security layer, but it can become a roadblock when you’re traveling without reliable cell service or internet access. Many MFA methods rely on sending a text message or a push notification to your phone, which won’t work if you’re offline. To avoid getting locked out of your accounts, UC Berkeley Security suggests you “prepare backup passcodes for your 2-Step Verification in case you don't have internet or cell service.” Most services allow you to generate and save a list of single-use backup codes specifically for these situations. Using an authenticator app can also be a great alternative.
Secure Your Smart Gadgets
Your cybersecurity checklist shouldn't stop with your phone and laptop. Many of us travel with other connected devices, from smartwatches to smart luggage. These gadgets are also potential targets for cyberattacks if not properly secured. As security experts recommend, you should “be careful with smart luggage or other travel gadgets. Make sure their software is always updated and only buy from trusted brands.” Reputable manufacturers are more likely to release security patches for their products. Just like with your other devices, keeping the firmware updated helps protect you from known vulnerabilities while you’re on the move.
Staying Secure While Traveling
Once you’ve landed, your vigilance needs to continue, especially when it comes to getting online. Free public Wi-Fi at airports, cafes, and hotels is convenient, but it’s also notoriously insecure. These open networks are a prime hunting ground for criminals who can easily monitor your activity and steal login credentials or financial information. You should “avoid using public Wi-Fi for banking or logging into sensitive accounts. Use a VPN if you must connect.” A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic, creating a secure, private tunnel that makes your data unreadable to anyone snooping on the network. Using your phone’s personal hotspot is another much safer alternative.
Beyond digital threats, be mindful of your physical surroundings. A simple glance over your shoulder, known as “shoulder surfing,” is all it takes for someone to see you type in a password or credit card number. When working in a public space, consider using a privacy screen on your laptop, which makes the screen visible only to the person directly in front of it. These simple behavioral adjustments are a key part of a holistic security strategy. Understanding how individual actions contribute to overall risk is the foundation of effective Human Risk Management, ensuring that security practices are strong whether your team is in the office or on the other side of the world.
4. Stop "Checking In" and Lock Down Your Social Media
There’s no doubt that social media can be a wonderful way to stay connected and share all the exciting details of your trip! But cybercriminals also use activity on social media to track your moves while traveling.
It’s exciting to tell your online friends what you’re up to, but virtual check-ins and location sharing can let cybercriminals know you’re away. Before traveling, check your privacy settings on your social media outlets and make sure that your posts and personal information aren’t public.
You can also do your part by turning off location sharing settings on your posts, so friends won’t see that you posted that status in a certain town at a certain time. And no matter how tempting, it’s best to avoid those airport check-ins or other location check-ins while traveling!
5. Post Your Vacation Photos After You Get Home
While you’re away, you’re probably snapping tons of pictures of your great adventures. While it’s exciting to share what you’re experiencing as it’s happening, posting pictures is just another way for people to track your movements online.
Save those photos in an organized album on your phone and clean them up with your favorite filters. After you’re safe back home, upload the photos all at once. This way, you’ll lower your risk of foul play while away.
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6. A Key Travel Cybersecurity Tip: Disable Wi-Fi Auto-Connect
While traveling, you may be tempted to hop onto public Wi-Fi. After all, it’s convenient to have a faster, data-free connection on the go. But regardless of whether they are free, paid, or password-protected, Wi-Fi networks are high targets for cybercriminals. Threat actors can make fake Wi-Fi names that look similar, or even identical, to real ones. Once connected, you could expose your device to malware or eavesdropping. Think twice before connecting to any network to make sure no one can spy on what you send and receive.
While in the airport, your phone may try to auto-connect to public Wi-Fi, but you can easily stop it in your settings! Instead, connect to your own password-protected signal using a hotspot or log on to your company VPN for work-related tasks. A VPN masks your location and encrypts the data sent to and from your device.
Avoid Public Computers and Charging Stations
The hotel business center might seem like a convenient spot to print a boarding pass or look up directions, but public computers are best avoided. You have no way of knowing what kind of monitoring software or malware might be installed. Keyloggers, for instance, can capture every password and piece of personal information you type. It’s always safer to use your own trusted devices for any task. If you absolutely must use a public computer, avoid logging into any personal accounts and be sure to clear your browsing history and log out completely when you’re finished.
Beware of "Juice Jacking"
That free USB charging port at the airport gate or in a café looks helpful, but it could be a trap. This threat, known as “juice jacking,” happens when cybercriminals modify USB ports to install malware onto a connected device or steal data from it. The cable that charges your phone can also transfer data, and criminals exploit this. To stay safe, always use your own charger and plug it directly into a traditional AC power outlet. A portable power bank is another excellent, secure alternative for charging on the go.
Maintain Physical Security of Your Devices
All the digital security measures in the world won't help if your laptop or phone is physically stolen. Maintaining situational awareness is a critical part of your travel security posture. Never leave your devices unattended in public spaces, not even for a moment. This includes airport lounges, coffee shops, and hotel lobbies. Be equally cautious in your hotel room; use the room safe for your devices when you are not there. A lost or stolen device isn't just an inconvenience; it's a significant data breach waiting to happen, especially if it contains sensitive corporate information.
Use Your Phone's Mobile Data When Possible
When you need to get online, your phone's cellular connection, like 4G or 5G, is almost always a more secure choice than public Wi-Fi. Your mobile data connection is encrypted, making it much more difficult for an outsider to intercept your traffic. While it might be tempting to save data by connecting to a free airport or café network, the security risk often isn't worth it. Using your phone as a personal hotspot to connect your laptop is also a great option that extends this layer of security to your other devices, creating a personal, trusted network wherever you are.
Verify Public Wi-Fi Networks
If you must connect to public Wi-Fi, take a moment to verify the network is legitimate. Cybercriminals often set up rogue Wi-Fi hotspots with names that look official, like "Airport Free Wi-Fi" or "Hotel Guest." This is an "evil twin" attack, designed to trick you into connecting so they can monitor your activity and steal your credentials. Before connecting, ask an employee at the establishment for the exact name of their official Wi-Fi network and any steps required to log in. This simple verification can prevent you from connecting to a malicious network by mistake.
Power Devices Off Completely
When you’re not using your devices, especially overnight or when passing through security checkpoints, don't just put them to sleep. Power them down completely. A device in sleep mode is still running and can be vulnerable to certain types of attacks or unauthorized access if it falls into the wrong hands. A full shutdown ensures that all processes are terminated and that a password or biometric authentication is required to boot it back up. It’s a small, simple step that significantly hardens your device against tampering and adds a crucial layer of security.
After You Return Home: A Post-Trip Security Review
Your security responsibilities don't end the moment you walk back through your front door. Traveling, especially to new places, exposes your devices and accounts to different threats than they face at home. Think of the first day back as a time for a "digital detox" and security checkup. Taking a few proactive steps can help you ensure that no digital threats followed you home. This post-trip review is a vital part of a comprehensive security posture, closing any potential security gaps created while you were away and reinforcing secure behaviors for the future. It's a practical application of proactive risk reduction.
For security leaders, this post-travel routine is a perfect example of where individual actions contribute to the organization's overall resilience. Encouraging employees to adopt these habits helps build a stronger security culture. It's a key component of a modern Human Risk Management program, which moves beyond simple awareness to measure and influence the behaviors that truly reduce risk. By making these checks a standard operating procedure after business travel, you can better protect both the individual and the enterprise from threats that might have been picked up on the road. The following steps provide a clear, actionable checklist for anyone returning from a trip.
Scan Your Devices for Malware
The very first thing you should do after returning home is run a full and thorough antivirus and antimalware scan on every device you traveled with, including your laptop, phone, and tablet. Even if you were careful, it's possible your device was exposed to malware through an insecure network or a compromised charging station. A deep scan will help detect and remove any malicious software that may have been installed without your knowledge, preventing it from causing further harm or spreading to your home or corporate network.
Change Your Passwords
As a precaution, it's wise to change the passwords for any accounts you accessed while traveling, particularly sensitive ones like email, banking, and corporate network logins. You can't be 100% certain that the networks you used were secure, and your credentials could have been compromised without any obvious signs. Changing your passwords ensures that even if someone did capture your login information, it will no longer be valid. Use this opportunity to create strong, unique passwords for each account and enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible for an added layer of protection.
Review Your Financial Accounts
Carefully review your bank and credit card statements for any suspicious activity that may have occurred during or after your trip. Look for unauthorized charges, no matter how small, as criminals sometimes test stolen card numbers with small purchases before making larger ones. If you find any transactions you don't recognize, report them to your financial institution immediately. Setting up real-time transaction alerts on your accounts before you travel is also a great proactive measure that can help you spot fraud the moment it happens.
Delete Temporary Travel Apps
During your trip, you likely downloaded apps for airlines, hotels, or local transit. Once you're home, there's no need to keep them on your device. Uninstall any apps you downloaded specifically for your trip. This practice helps reduce your digital footprint and minimizes your device's attack surface. Apps that are no longer being used or updated can become security vulnerabilities over time, so it's best to remove them once they've served their purpose. A clean device is a more secure device.
Special Considerations for International Travel
Traveling abroad introduces a different level of complexity to your security planning. You'll be operating under different laws, facing different infrastructure, and potentially be a more attractive target for cybercriminals or even state-sponsored actors. International travel requires a heightened sense of awareness and additional preparation to protect your data and devices. Before you depart, it's crucial to understand the unique digital landscape of your destination and take specific steps to secure your information against a broader range of potential threats. This is especially true for employees carrying sensitive corporate data, as the risk profile changes significantly once they cross borders.
Security teams should consider providing employees with specific guidance or even "burner" devices for travel to high-risk destinations. This proactive approach minimizes the potential for a breach of the corporate network. It's also important to brief travelers on the types of threats they might encounter, from sophisticated phishing attempts tailored to their itinerary to physical security risks. A well-prepared traveler is a much harder target. The goal is to equip your team with the knowledge and tools they need to operate securely, no matter where their work takes them. This level of preparation is a hallmark of a mature security program that actively manages human risk.
Research Local Laws on Data Encryption
While encryption is a cornerstone of cybersecurity in most of the world, some countries have strict laws regulating or even banning its use. Before you travel, research whether your destination country has any restrictions on using encryption software or virtual private networks (VPNs). Traveling with a fully encrypted laptop to a country where it is prohibited could lead to legal trouble or the confiscation of your device. Always check with your organization's security or legal department for guidance on corporate policies and local laws regarding data protection.
Register Your Trip for Safety Alerts
Your physical safety is just as important as your digital security. Before traveling internationally, consider enrolling your trip with your home country's government. For U.S. citizens, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service that registers your trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. This allows them to contact you in an emergency, whether it's a natural disaster, civil unrest, or a family emergency back home. You'll also receive travel alerts and updates about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions to stay safe.
Share These Travel Cybersecurity Tips with Your Team
It can be taxing to think of new cybersecurity awareness training content all year long. But maintaining a consistent dialogue about security helps to keep cyber awareness top of mind.
What if you didn’t have to strategize new, unique content every month? With our Campaign in a Box, program owners receive sharable tips and security know-how to personalize their awareness program. Skip the legwork and receive our pre-written campaigns, today.
From Awareness to Proactive Risk Management
The travel tips we've covered are essential for any individual looking to stay secure. But for an enterprise with a distributed workforce, relying on awareness alone is a strategy built on chance. To truly protect your organization, the focus must shift from reactive training to proactive Human Risk Management. This approach goes beyond checklists to understand the 'why' behind the risk. By correlating data across employee behavior, identity and access, and real-time threat intelligence, you gain the context needed to see which traveling employees represent the most significant potential impact to the business.
This is how you move from reacting to incidents to preventing them. The Living Security Platform uses this predictive intelligence to identify risk trajectories before they lead to a breach. For example, you can see that a traveling executive with privileged access is being targeted by a phishing campaign and is also connecting to unsecured networks. Our AI guide, Livvy, analyzes these signals and provides your team with clear, evidence-based recommendations. It can even act on routine tasks, like sending a micro-training on VPN use, all with human oversight. This is how you scale protection for a global team and prevent human-centric breaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
These tips are great for me, but how can I ensure my entire team follows them consistently? That's the core challenge. Individual awareness is a great start, but consistency across an organization requires a systematic approach. Instead of just hoping everyone remembers the rules, a Human Risk Management platform helps you see who is most at risk based on their access, behavior, and the threats they face. This allows you to provide targeted, timely guidance, like a reminder about VPN use to a traveling salesperson, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all annual training.
What's the difference between giving my team these travel tips and actually managing human risk? Think of it like this: giving tips is like handing out a map. Managing risk is like having a GPS that provides real-time alerts. The tips build awareness, which is the foundation. But true risk management involves understanding the context. It correlates data to see that a specific traveling executive has high-level access, is being targeted by a phishing campaign, and just connected to an unsecured network. It's about moving from general advice to specific, data-driven intervention.
What is the single biggest mistake employees make when traveling for work? The most common mistake is treating all Wi-Fi as equal. Connecting to a free, unverified public network at an airport or cafe is incredibly risky. It's tempting for convenience, but these networks are prime hunting grounds for attackers to intercept data. Using a personal hotspot or a company-approved VPN is always the safer choice, as it encrypts your connection and protects sensitive information from being exposed.
Why does international travel require a different level of security preparation? International travel introduces variables you don't face domestically. Different countries have different laws regarding data privacy and encryption, which can create compliance issues. Furthermore, travelers in certain regions may be higher-value targets for corporate espionage or state-sponsored actors. This changes the risk profile significantly, requiring more than standard precautions, such as using clean "burner" devices and having a clear understanding of local digital threats.
How does a platform like Living Security specifically address travel-related risks? The platform provides the visibility that simple checklists can't. By analyzing signals from identity systems, threat intelligence feeds, and security tools, it can identify when a traveling employee's risk is increasing. For example, it can flag that an executive is in a high-risk country and is receiving targeted phishing emails. Our AI guide, Livvy, can then recommend or autonomously execute actions, like sending a just-in-time micro-training on identifying phishing scams, all with human oversight. This prevents incidents before they happen.
Key Takeaways
- Proactive preparation reduces travel risk: Before any trip, implement a pre-departure security check. This includes updating all device software, backing up critical data to a secure location, and removing non-essential sensitive files to shrink the potential attack surface.
- Maintain security while on the move: Treat public networks as untrusted environments by using a corporate VPN or a personal hotspot for connectivity. Be aware of your physical surroundings to prevent device theft or shoulder surfing, which are crucial practices for protecting sensitive data outside the office.
- Conduct a post-trip security review: Upon returning, perform a security debrief. Scan all travel devices for malware, change passwords for any accounts accessed abroad, and carefully review financial statements. This final step ensures no threats follow your team back to your corporate network.
