Securing Your Laptop While Traveling

The road-warrior's guide to protecting data and laptop computers while on the road.

Each year I find myself spending roughly 9-10 months traveling the world performing training and consulting work. During my travels I spend a lot of time in hotels, client offices, airports and other places usually with my notebook and important data in tow, items that need to be protected.

When traveling I have seen the numerous mistakes that people make that can lead to them losing their equipment, along with any sensitive data, before they notice that it has happened. In the spirit of protecting those who may not know better or have no idea of what they should be doing to protect themselves I have put together this document of best practices that can keep you from becoming a victim.

Take it Back: You see it all the time, the person carrying a black or brown case a little smaller than a briefcase walking along without a care in the world; when you see someone carrying such an item you know one almost for sure they have a laptop in the case. A attacker only has to follow you in a place like an airport waiting until that one moment a back is turned and your laptop is gone. Don't want to become a victim? Get a backpack and carry your laptop in it, it's easier to carry and a less obvious target.

Trivia: If you are a male consider another issue with carrying a traditional carrying case as opposed to a backpack for your notebook, the "Pants down" attack. The "Pants down" attack occurs when a man is standing at a urinal and places his notebook case between his legs or on the floor next to him: an attacker just comes up an grabs the case and runs, in the moment it takes for one to zip up and pursue your notebook is gone.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: While waiting for your flight you get the urge to watch a movie or listen to some music or even play Solitaire so you decide to whip out your notebook and do just that, not realizing you have just shown everyone within sight what you have "in the bag". If you find yourself doing a lot of traveling you might consider getting an iPod or portable DVD instead as both are easier less obvious that an expensive "big ticket" item like a notebook.

Under not Over: You have to much stuff to put under your seat or you want to stretch out so you put your notebook in the overhead bin and think everything is fine, but when you get to your destination and open up your notebook it has a cracked screen. During a normal flight turbulence happens and during such items in overhead bins shift and can easily bump or bang against a fragile notebook and break it, and just in case your wondering the airline won't cover you for this event (same goes for checking your notebook into the cargo area of the aircraft).

Never use suspend: In the Windows world one can use a special mode called suspend which partially powers down a notebook so it can be accessed quicker while saving battery life, the problem is that the system is not completely off. Not only does having a system in this state for an extended period of time slowly use battery power, but it can also violate rules such as the FAA's rule against portable electronic devices being on right after takeoff and before landing.

Absolute Power Corrupts (and Destroys): Always carry a portable surge protector with you when you travel to protect you equipment from unstable power systems. You should already be using a surge protector on your home PC, but most overlook the same protection on the road, don't become a victim pick up a protector at an electronics or office supply store.

Bonus: Some surge protectors can also include voltage converters and other features for international travelers.

Now sometimes, no matter how much one tries, bad things happen and in this case that could me a notebook got stolen, so what now? Well, there are some things one can do to keep private or confidential data out of a criminals hands.

Passwords: Don't be lazy, configure a password for your system and make it something that fits accepted standards for complexity, for example

-8 characters or more in length
-Upper and lower case letters
-Contains at least one number
-Contains at least one special character

Encryption: Consider using encrypting your data on your hard drive so if someone guesses your password they will still have to decrypt the actual data. There are several utilities available that can perform this function as well as being built into some operating systems such as Windows XP

Trivia: Some versions of Windows Vista provide a feature called "Bitlocker" that provides advance encryption for data stored on the computer's hard drive.

Back it up: Always back up your data just in case your notebook doesn't make it through in one piece. Also keep in mind that the backup media you carry with you should also be kept somewhere safe from harm, theft or loss.

Also note that some manufacturers such as Lenovo/IBM include utilities on their systems when they ship them that allow one to back up a system to removable media. Using these utilities is a great way to get a easy to restore snapshot of your system for quick and easy recovery.

Watch you pack: You see it now and then, the person who decides that they don't want to lug around their notebook or laptop with them so they decide to check it at the airport instead of carrying it on, well I've got news for you folks, this isn't a good idea. The person who checks their notebook in with their luggage is the same person who quite frequently gets a nasty surprise at their destination when they get their first look at a freshly cracked screen. This tip is easy, don't ever check your notebook computer.

Trivia: Airlines do not reimburse travelers who check their computers instead of carrying them on.

Insurance: While I'm not an insurance agent, I would recommend getting some insurance to cover your notebook if you can't afford a replacement. You should check with your own insurance agent on the specifics for your situation, but depending on your situation your homeowners insurance might provide protection for your asset even when you are traveling.

Trivia: Typically insurance does not cover lost data or data recovery services, but ask your agent.

Well, there you have it, some tips to keep yourself and your laptop safe while traveling. Good luck and stay safe.