When you have a business trip that takes you out of the country, there are a lot of things you don’t want to forget. You need your passport, you need your toiletries, you need the right clothes… and you really need to think about protecting your sensitive data.
Like it or not, once you leave the good old U.S.A you are playing the data-protection game by a whole new set of rules. Taking sensitive documents or using some less-than-deal cyber hygiene can give hackers all the opportunity they need while you are in the foreign country and once you get back home.
In this week’s episode, we discuss international travel tips with Mike Hussey, executive director of the Utah Dept. of Technology Services. He’s the man charged with protecting state data and devices and he’s helped navigate the challenges associated with international travel for Gov. Gary Herbert as the governor has conducted trade missions around the globe, including places like China, the UK, Israel and Mexico. Hussey walks us through some things you should do before you leave, while you are gone and once you get back home.
Before you travel
Leave your data home
Back-up your data
Encrypt your data (but do it right)
While you travel
Don’t leave your device unattended
Don’t use accessories you can’t trust
Don’t enter passwords into public computers
Use trusted wifi only and turn off wifi when not using it
Be smart when you browse
After you travel
Change your passwords
You can find similar suggestions with some additional detail here.
We open the episode with a look at a headline in the Washington Post that shows how data collected from the most common health monitoring devices may be giving away “sensitive and dangerous information.”
It’s actually a principle that could cause your business or your family some issues – but on a global military scale. You can read the entire article here.
