The following list represents the most important procedures you and your colleagues should follow on your next trip abroad:
- Avoid disclosing your travel details to strangers.
- Never put electronics in your checked luggage.
- Consider traveling with a disposable cellphone (they are less susceptible to eavesdropping).
- Use a separate “throw-away” email to communicate with your family and coworkers (this prevents hackers from penetrating your company’s email system even after you have completed your trip).
- Consider installing an asymmetric email encryption program such as “Pretty Good Privacy” (PGP) on your computer, which allows you to encrypt and decrypt your email over the Internet.
- Put sensitive business documents on password-protected USB drives (such as “Iron Key” or “BitLocker”).
- Never use complimentary WiFi when traveling, unless absolutely necessary, and always use a trusted VPN.
- Never leave your sensitive business materials and/or electronics unattended in your hotel room — and your hotel safe is not safe! Carry all electronics with you at all times (hence, the need for smaller devices).
- If you spend time in the hotel bar, be cautious of what you say and to whom, because they are prime hunting grounds for espionage operatives.
- Be mindful of sexual entrapment (the Russians are still the masters of “honeypots” and have blackmailed many a business traveler into disclosing sensitive information in exchange for keeping their affairs secret).
- Use a strong passphrase (instead of password) containing up to 14-18 characters (and change it every 180 days or after every international trip).
- Make it a habit to power-off your devices when they are not in use. more
