How to Maintain Cybersecurity While Traveling

Go ahead and leave your shoes on a Caribbean beach. Just don’t leave your business data there. Here are our experts top tips for staying cybersecure while traveling.

Business travelers line up at Palm Beach International Airport.
The post-pandemic implications of 2021 include both a travel surge and a cybersecurity crisis.

If you’ve spent any part of 2021 scrolling through the news, you’ve probably noticed some recurring themes. 

Coverage of the latest cybersecurity breach or ransomware attack of the week.

Footage of another hopelessly packed airport, rental car nightmare (like this one experienced by a member of the Level5 team!), or yet another airline passenger meltdown. 

The two topics aren’t as unrelated as one might think. Cyberattackers are talented opportunists. As Americans shake off the restlessness of our year-long quarantine by rushing back to the roads and the skies, the unprecedented travel crush provides criminals with a wide landscape of opportunity for security lapses. And with the pent-up demand for business travel exploding right along with leisure travel, that landscape is dotted with the futures of millions of businesses and organizations. 

Tips for Staying Secure While Traveling

Whether you’re heading across the US to give a keynote speech at an industry conference or across the world for bourbon sours and black sand beaches, the threat of cybercrime is real. Here, Level5’s IT security experts share our tips for maintaining security while traveling.

Before You Leave

As close as our relationships with our phones and laptops have become, it can be easy to forget that devices are essentially ever-present transmitters and banks of our personal information — and our business’s information as well. While it’s common for them to get left out or tucked away in some precarious places when traveling, your devices should be thought of as critical vaults — often much more valuable than the contents of your other luggage. 

Before your trip, you should take proactive steps to secure your devices. Any electronic equipment you don’t need for your trip should be left at home. Anything you do need should be vehemently protected: 

Be sure all electronic files have been reliably backed up. 

Your pre-travel checklist should include making backup copies of all of your data. This could be to the cloud or to another physical device that won’t be traveling with you. If your data is compromised or you lose your devices during the course of your trip, it’s crucial that you have a separate secure file repository to fall back on. Extra sensitive data should be removed from devices that travel with you whenever possible.

Set up strong passwords and lock your devices with PINs or biometrics.

Ideally you should be using a password manager recommended by your IT provider (Level5 clients use Keeper). Remember to keep your device locked at all times. It only takes a moment for hackers to breach an unlocked device.

Confirm that all security software is up-to-date.

Security apps and operating systems are regularly updated by their manufacturers as vulnerabilities are discovered. But if you’re running an outdated version, you aren’t being protected from those known security issues. Check with your IT provider to be sure your devices have the latest security patches installed before leaving home. 

While You Are Traveling

It’s an unpleasant thing to think about when you’re trying to ease into vacation mode, but security threats are rife in a travel environment and many aren’t exceedingly obvious. It’s important to be conscious of what’s going on around you and know that the majority of threats aren’t necessarily visible.

Actively guard against device theft and loss

While almost everyone sets out to be mindful about the most obvious threat — device theft — it’s easy to see how killing a departure delay in the airport bar or catching a nap after takeoff can lead to letting down one’s guard. Be sure your devices are never left unattended or exposed. Whether you’re in an airport, hotel, restaurant, Uber, plane, beach or conference center, be vigilant about your surroundings. and where and how you use your devices. It’s also smart to be mindful of your device screen when it’s in use. Many users even choose to add privacy screens to laptops to prevent their work from being visible to nearby eyes. 

Turn off Auto Connectivity

While these are great features to have around our homes and offices, it’s never a good idea to have your Bluetooth and wireless network automatically connecting to available devices and networks outside your own house or workplace. It’s too easy to autoconnect to a malicious network or stranger’s device. 

Avoid public Wifi whenever possible

Using public networks carries significant risk, as hackers often use them to collect information. If you need to work while traveling or access any business or sensitive personal files, skip the public network. For remote work, you should always ensure you’re using a VPN or your personal data network connection. If you do choose to access a shared network somewhere like a hotel or cafe when traveling, never use it to access sensitive data, business data, or to complete financial transactions like banking or shopping. And never use the open network. One trick is to try purposely logging onto the public Wi-Fi using the wrong password. If you can get on anyway, the network is not secure. When using a pubic Wi-Fi network, the FCC cybersecurity tips for travelers also recommend that you periodically adjust your phone settings to disconnect from the network, then log back in again.

International travel requires extra security layers

When traveling internationally, take your vigilance to the next level. We recommend using different PINs and passwords abroad than you do at home. When you get home, update your passwords and your security apps again. Remember that laws, policies, and practices regarding online security and privacy can differ dramatically in other countries. Also keep in mind that devices used or obtained abroad are frequently compromised. Your mobile phone and other electronic devices may be vulnerable to malware if you connect with local networks abroad. 

We’re all for leaving your heart in Montego. But don’t leave your business or your clients’ data behind with it. If you have any questions or uncertainties about how to stay secure while traveling, schedule a discussion with your managed IT services provider — or chat with the Level5 team now and learn about a better way to do business IT. 


Ready to talk about your business’s IT or IT security? Level5 provides the most robust and iron-clad cybersecurity protection on the market, bringing enterprise-level security solutions and managed IT services to SMBs across South Florida and the United States. From the legal industry to the healthcare sector and all professional service businesses along the way, Level5 protects your business from making the news for the wrong reasons. For a no-obligation network assessment and consultation, call our Boca Raton cybersecurity experts at (561) 509-2077 or Livechat us on our website at level5mgmt.com