Protecting your devices while travelling is about both physical security and digital hygiene. Here are eight practical tips for business travellers who cannot afford to lose their kit.
Your laptop contains client data, business communications, and login credentials for every system your company operates. Your phone is an authenticator for financial accounts and email. These are not just expensive gadgets - they are the keys to your business. Losing them while travelling, or having them compromised, can have consequences that last long after you return home.
Here are eight tips that address both the physical and digital security of your devices when you are on the road.
1. Use a Cable Lock for Your Laptop
A laptop cable lock anchors your device to a fixed object - a hotel desk, a table leg, or an airport seat anchor - and takes about ten seconds to use. It will not stop a determined thief with tools, but it eliminates opportunistic theft, which accounts for the majority of laptop losses in travel environments. Most business laptops have a Kensington lock slot. If yours does not, lock-compatible carrying cases are available. It is a $40 investment that provides meaningful deterrence.
2. Never Leave Devices Unattended in Public
This seems obvious but is broken constantly. A laptop left on a cafe table while you go to the counter, a phone face-down on a conference room table during a break, a bag left on your chair in a restaurant - these are all theft opportunities. Keep devices with you at all times in public spaces, or secure them in a hotel safe. Hotel room theft is also real; do not leave equipment on a bed or desk visible through a window.
3. Avoid Public Wi-Fi for Sensitive Work
Public Wi-Fi at airports, hotels, and cafes is inherently untrusted. Attackers can position themselves as a network access point (an “evil twin” attack), intercept unencrypted traffic, or inject malicious content into unencrypted pages. If you must use public Wi-Fi, ensure your VPN is active before connecting and avoid accessing sensitive business systems until you are on a trusted network. Better still, use your phone as a personal hotspot for business tasks - mobile data is significantly more secure than shared public Wi-Fi.
4. Be Aware of Airport Charging Risks
USB charging ports at airports and hotels can be used to transfer data or install malware on connected devices - a technique known as “juice jacking.” Use your own charger and plug it into a standard power outlet rather than a USB charging port. Alternatively, carry a USB data blocker (a small adapter that passes power but blocks data pins) if you have no choice but to use a public USB port.
5. Enable Remote Wipe Before You Leave
Both iOS and Android support remote wipe functionality, as do Windows devices managed through Microsoft Intune. Confirm remote wipe is enabled on all your devices before travelling. If a device is lost or stolen, you can remotely erase it before the thief accesses its contents. For this to work, the device needs to be online - which is another reason to report loss quickly and act before the battery dies.
6. Keep Firmware and Software Current
A stolen device running outdated software is more vulnerable to exploitation even with encryption in place. Keep your operating system and applications updated, and ensure your endpoint security software is active and has current definitions. This applies particularly to any device that will connect to untrusted networks during travel.
7. Use a Privacy Screen Protector
In crowded environments - aircraft, trains, shared workspaces - shoulder surfing is a low-effort way for someone nearby to see what you are working on. A privacy screen protector narrows the viewing angle so that only the person directly in front of the screen can see it clearly. They cost under $50 for most laptop models and are a worthwhile investment for anyone who regularly works in public places with sensitive information on screen.
8. Photograph Your Devices Before Travel
Before leaving, take a photo of each device - including the serial number, visible identifying marks, and any accessories. If a device is lost or stolen, this documentation is valuable for insurance claims, police reports, and tracing through manufacturer services like Apple’s device lookup. Store the photos somewhere you can access without the device itself - cloud storage or email them to yourself.
After You Return
When you get home, it is worth reviewing any accounts accessed during travel for unusual activity, checking that your devices were not modified or compromised, and confirming your remote work connections during the trip used appropriate security channels. A brief post-travel review takes less than 15 minutes and can catch issues before they become incidents.
If your business needs a device management policy for travelling staff, or if you want to set up remote wipe and VPN access, reach out to CX IT Services. We make sure your team is protected wherever they work from.
