The SANS Institute has been putting out the OUCH! newsletter for some time now in a project called Securing the Human. In the most recent Issue, they discuss some best practices and practical advice for traveling. Here are some highlights:

Minimize Possible Losses

Here are a few tips to protect information from the hazards of traveling and possible theft:

• Remove any data that is not needed on the device
• Use full disk encryption & strong passwords
• Perform a complete backup before leaving
• Install tracking software on the device
• Update OSes and Antivirus

Lost/Stolen Devices

Although crime is more of a factor in some third world nations or those in active conflict, the human element of losing the device is 100x more likely. Keep inventory of your devices before, during and after transporting from one location to another. Do not leave your device in the hotel room, have the hotel front desk put it in their safe or locked administrative offices.

Public WiFi

If you have to connect to the internet in public spaces and/or cannot afford mobile data on your trip, then make sure to do the following:

• Never use public computers for sensitive information, especially banking sites
• When on public wifi, only surf to sites with HTTPS:// secure connections
• Consider connecting to a VPN service to further encrypt communications

If your company is requires traveling or you are planning to remotely work while on vacation, then contact us for assistance. We would be happy to walk you through the full disk encryption process, update / secure your devices and configure a company VPN service to connect to on the go.