Travelling with a work laptop this summer
Airports, hotels and borders are where laptops get lost, stolen or inspected. A few steps before you leave make each of those boring.
Summer travel season means laptops left in taxis, phones stolen in cafés, and hotel Wi-Fi of unknown quality. A few habits make all of that much less dramatic.
Before you leave:
- Make sure full-disk encryption is on: BitLocker on Windows, FileVault on Mac.
- Install updates and back up, so a lost laptop is only an expense.
- Remove files you won’t need on the trip, especially client data.
- Know how to report a lost device to IT, and save that number somewhere other than the laptop.
On the road:
- Use your phone’s hotspot or a VPN instead of open hotel Wi-Fi for work.
- Lock the screen every time you stand up. Shut it down, don’t sleep it, before going through security.
- Don’t plug into public USB charging points. Use your own charger.
Some borders can ask you to unlock devices. If you travel to sensitive places, take a clean loaner laptop.