Cyber Matters: International Travel Safety Part 1 - Preparing for Your Trip

In Part One of our summer vacation special, we discuss international travel safety and security with retired Air Force Lt. Col. Doug Wilson, co-founder of Counter Threat Group. Doug guides us through the pre-travel checklist, highlighting the essential items you should have and preparations you should make before boarding your flight. Furthermore, we explore important considerations when it comes to international flights and regions that may require extra caution. Since this is a cyber and technology podcast, we also discuss which mobile devices you should bring along and those you should avoid, as well as how to properly prepare the devices you must take.

Here are the pre-trip checklist items we cover:

• Visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html for complete checklists for international travelers. 
• Register with the State Department Smart Traveler system. https://step.state.gov/step/ Upload your itinerary and receive real time alerts for the countries you are in.  
• Know if proof of COVID vaccine might be required.
• Have a contingency plan for money and medications, even preventative medications you may need for respiratory infections, stomach bugs, etc. Take supplements to boost your immune system.
• Learn about the culture of the country you are visiting and observe how locals behave and what they wear. Plan to blend in. 
• Make sure to have your passport two months in advance and make sure it is not expiring in the next six months.  
• Always carry your passport on your person.  Have a color photocopy in your luggage and a copy with someone back home. 
• Notify your bank about using your credit card in the country prior to going. 
• Carry limited cash and one credit card.  Make sure you have written down your CC# and the customer phone number. 
• Don't take flashy clothing, jewelry, or accessories. You don’t want to wear them. 
• Don’t take your personal laptop if you don’t need it for business. If you do need to take a laptop or tablet, buy a cheap one or remove all apps with personal data.  
• Remove apps with personal data from your phone.  
• Install and test a VPN on your phone or laptop.  
• Avoid large western branded hotels, such as Mariot, Hyatt, Hilton.  These are often targets for bad actors. 
• Email your itinerary to several people, including your hotel and flights and update those people of any changes during the trip.  

 

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