Travel puts your devices in unfamiliar networks, crowded places and other people's hands. A little preparation before you leave, and a few habits on the road, mean a lost phone or a dodgy hotspot is an inconvenience rather than a disaster.
About 10 minutes to read20 minutes before each tripBeginner
1Prepare before you leave
Do this
Update everything and back up your phone and laptop (Module 3). If a device is lost, you lose the device, not your photos and files.
Make sure Find My (Apple) or Find Hub (Android) is on, and that you know how to use it from someone else's device.
Check you can sign in to important accounts without your usual phone number. Text codes may not arrive abroad: use an authenticator app or passkeys, and pack your backup codes (Module 1).
Take only the cards and devices you need. Leave old laptops, spare cards and documents you won't use at home.
Save your bank's international fraud number, your mobile carrier's number and your embassy's details somewhere you can reach without your phone.
Turn on bank and card alerts so you see any unexpected charge straight away.
Good to know
Border officers in many countries, including the United States, can ask to inspect phones and laptops. Travelling with less personal and work data on your devices, and with everything backed up at home, reduces the impact of any inspection, loss or theft. If you travel for work, follow your employer's travel guidance.
2Use public Wi-Fi carefully
Most websites and apps now encrypt their connections, so public Wi-Fi is far less dangerous than it used to be. The bigger risks today are fake networks with convincing names, and sign-in pages that ask for more than they should.
Safest
Your phone's mobile data or personal hotspotUse it for banking, work and anything sensitive.
Good
A trusted VPN on public Wi-FiA reputable paid VPN, or one provided by your employer, encrypts everything between you and the VPN. Avoid unknown free VPN apps, which may collect and sell your data.
Take care
Hotel, café and airport Wi-FiFine for general browsing on encrypted sites. Confirm the exact network name with staff, and be wary of two networks with almost the same name.
Do this
Turn off auto-join for public networks, and “forget” them when you leave.
Never enter card details, passwords or personal information into a Wi-Fi sign-in page beyond what you'd expect: a room number and surname, or accepting terms.
Turn off file sharing and set AirDrop or Quick Share to contacts only or off, so strangers can't send you files.
Watch for certificate or security warnings in your browser on public Wi-Fi. If you see one, disconnect.
3Charge safely
US government agencies have warned against using public USB charging ports, because a tampered port or cable could in theory be used to attack a connected phone. Real-world cases are rare, but the fix is easy.
Bring your own charger and cable and use a normal power socket, or carry a power bank.
Don't use cables you find left behind or are handed by strangers.
If your phone asks whether to “Trust this computer” or allow data access when you plug in to charge, say no.
A “charge-only” cable or USB data blocker lets you use a public USB port with the data connection cut.
4Guard your devices in public
Keep phones out of reach in crowds and on café tables. Many phone thefts are grab-and-run, which is why the theft protection settings in Module 2 matter.
Watch for shoulder surfing when you type a passcode or password. Use Face ID or fingerprint in public, and consider a privacy screen for your laptop.
Lock your screen every time you step away, even briefly. Set a short auto-lock time.
Hotel rooms aren't private. Take devices with you or use the room safe, and keep laptops encrypted (Module 3).
Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you aren't using them, if it's convenient. It saves battery and reduces what nearby devices can see.
5Avoid shared computers for anything personal
Computers in hotel business centres, libraries and internet cafés may record what you type. Assume anything you do on them could be seen.
Don't sign in to email, banking or important accounts on a shared computer. Use your phone instead.
If you must, use a private window, never let it save your password, sign out of everything and close the browser afterwards. Change that password later from your own device.
Print boarding passes and documents from your phone's email through the printer's own app or by asking staff, rather than signing in to your email on their computer.
Travel is also a favourite theme for scam messages: fake booking changes, delivery notices and QR codes on parking meters or tables. Module 4 covers how to handle them.
6If your device is lost or stolen
Act fast
From another device, sign in to Find My (icloud.com/find) or Find Hub (android.com/find) and mark it as lost to lock it and show a contact message.
If it's clearly stolen, or holds sensitive data, erase it remotely. You can restore from your backup later.
Call your mobile carrier to suspend the SIM, so nobody can use your number for calls or sign-in codes.
Change the passwords for your email, Apple or Google account, and banking, and sign out of all other sessions.
Tell your bank if banking apps or cards were on the device.
Report it to the local police and get a reference number for insurance. If your passport was taken too, contact your embassy or consulate.
Check your understanding
You need to check your bank balance at the airport. What's the safest connection?
Mobile data. It avoids fake hotspots entirely. Public Wi-Fi is fine for browsing, but keep banking for mobile data or a trusted VPN.
The café Wi-Fi sign-in page asks for your card number to “verify” you. What should you do?
Close it. Legitimate free Wi-Fi doesn't need your card. This may be a fake network set up to collect details.
Your phone is stolen on holiday. What's one of the first things to do?
Lock it and suspend the SIM. That protects your data and stops your number being used for sign-in codes.
Your checklist
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This module is general educational information, not professional or legal advice, and following it cannot guarantee your devices or data will be safe while travelling. Laws on device inspection differ between countries; check official travel advice for your destination and your employer's policies. Products are named as examples only; Rondel Group is not affiliated with them.