Device Security While Traveling

Device security while traveling is mostly the same as device security at home, applied with slightly more attention because losing a phone abroad costs more. The two things that genuinely change are that your device is more likely to be lost or stolen, and that in some countries what is on it is subject to inspection. Both have simple preparations.

What You Need to Know

The basics, which are most of it

The FTC’s guidance for protecting personal information online is short and it is the right starting point: create and use strong passwords, turn on two-factor authentication where it is available, and keep your security software, operating system and browser up to date, with automatic updates on. None of that is travel-specific and all of it matters more when a device is more likely to be lost.

Add a screen lock you actually use, device encryption if it is not on by default, and remote find-and-erase enabled and tested before you leave. Test matters: knowing where the feature is while you are calm is different from finding it while you are not.

The Wi-Fi correction

Most travel writing still says public Wi-Fi is dangerous. The FTC’s current position is that because of the widespread use of encryption, connecting through a public Wi-Fi network is usually safe, and the check to make is looking for a lock symbol or https in the address bar. It also makes the limit explicit: encryption protects data in transit, so your data can be encrypted on its way to a fraudulent site and still reach a fraudulent site.

Two-factor and the SIM you might remove

If you plan to use a local SIM or a data-only eSIM, codes sent by SMS to your usual number may not reach you, and that can lock you out of a bank at the worst moment. Move two-factor to an authenticator app before departure. It works offline and it does not care which SIM is in the phone.

Local law

Of the 211 destinations the State Department publishes country information for, 27 restrict photographing government buildings, military installations or infrastructure, 15 address drones and 10 address satellite phones or GPS equipment. A small number describe electronic devices being searched or inspected. Where the country information page for your destination says any of that, treat it as law rather than as advice. The U.S. Department of State and the U.K. FCDO both publish per-country guidance, and Global Affairs Canada assesses the same countries independently.

What to Do Before Your Trip

• Update the operating system and browser, and enable automatic updates.
• Move two-factor to an authenticator app.
• Turn on and test remote find-and-erase.
• Back up the device, so a loss is a loss of hardware only.
• Read the destination’s rules on photography, drones and devices.

Important Considerations

Think about what is on the device rather than only about the device. A phone holds banking access, email, photographs and the copies of your documents, and the most useful preparation is a current backup so that the loss is expensive rather than catastrophic.

Be deliberate about charging. Public charging points and borrowed cables are a small risk, and the simple answer is to carry your own charger and a power bank rather than to think about it. That also solves the battery problem, which is a much more common cause of trouble than anything else in this guide.

Consider what you carry at all. For most travelers the answer is their normal phone and laptop. Where an itinerary involves a destination whose country information mentions device inspection, a traveler with sensitive professional data has a judgment to make that is genuinely different from a holidaymaker’s, and it is worth taking that question to whoever handles security at their organization rather than to a travel guide.

Tips for Group Travelers

• Brief the photography restrictions on day one, specifically.
• Ask everyone to enable remote find before departure.
• Remind people to back up while they still have Wi-Fi.
• Carry spare chargers and power banks for the group.
• Agree what to do if a phone is stolen, including whose number to call.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Two-factor by SMS only, then changing SIM.
• No backup before departure.
• Postponing updates until after the trip.
• Photographing a checkpoint or a government building where it is illegal.
• Never testing remote find-and-erase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a VPN for device security abroad?

Not for public Wi-Fi safety specifically: the FTC says encryption has largely addressed that, and the check to make is the lock symbol or https. A VPN is a different tool for a different problem, mainly surveillance and censorship, and 49 of the 211 destinations the State Department covers recommend one. Check whether it is permitted where you are going.

What is the single most useful thing to do?

Turn on two-factor authentication using an authenticator app, and back the device up. The first protects your accounts if the device is taken; the second means the loss is hardware rather than everything. Both are done at home in a few minutes.

Can border officials search my phone?

Some countries do inspect electronic devices, and the State Department’s country information notes it where it applies. It is a matter of local law, so read the page for your destination rather than assuming. Travelers carrying sensitive professional data should take that question to their own organization.

Is it safe to photograph anything?

No. 27 of the 211 destinations the State Department covers restrict photographing government buildings, military installations or key infrastructure, and the penalties in some places are serious. Read your destination’s local laws section, and when in doubt at a checkpoint or a public building, do not.

Related Travel Tips

• Phones, technology and connectivity, the section this guide belongs to.
• Internet Access Abroad. Public Wi-Fi in detail.
• Credit Card Security Abroad. The financial half.
• Protecting Your Passport and Travel Documents.

Plan Your Trip With LABUSA Travel

Which sites on an itinerary cannot be photographed, and where device rules are strict, are facts about the route that are easier to learn before departure than at a checkpoint.

Talk with a LABUSA Travel advisor about a trip you are considering, or browse our destination guides for a specific country.

Verify Before You Travel

Guidance on passwords, updates and public Wi-Fi is published by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and on device security by the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre. Local rules on photography, drones and device inspection are published per destination by the U.S. Department of State, with independent assessments from the U.K. FCDO and Global Affairs Canada.