By Jeff Garell
I travel pretty often in my business – not as much as some, but more than others – and I've found some pretty common sense methods to make sure my equipment and data remains safe.
Those simple action steps each start with the letter P: Plan, Prepare, Prevent and Purify.
Plan
Do I really need to bring all of this?
Every time I go on the road – whether for a simple overnighter or a longer trip – I evaluate the tools I expect to need. On many trips, I’ll really only need a tablet and my cell phone. I follow this routine because the less I bring with me, the less chance there is to lose something – not to mention the lighter my travel load will be if I don’t need my laptop, extra monitor, mobile hotspot, power bricks/chargers, as well as various cables and power strips for all of it. Sadly, occasionally I need to haul all that gear but fortunately not too often.
The key to making this work is ensuring that you will have the tools (software) you need on the devices that you chose to bring. In the past, I’ve tested that I can perform the majority of my work on a tablet by putting away my laptop and just using the tablet in the office for a week. While I recognized a small productivity hit and I surely wouldn't want to do it long term, that test showed that I can work effectively on many trips with a much smaller tech footprint.
Paring down your gear means less chance of leaving something behind or taking your eyes off the pile and having it walk away without your knowledge.
Prepare
Once you've decided what to bring, take time to ensure your data is safe.
The first thing to do is make sure important data is backed up. I know: Backups are boring. But it’s better than the total freak out you’ll experience when you realize it’s gone. I'd highly suggest making copies of anything important you’ll need on the trip. Leave one copy with a colleague at the office and put the other on a USB drive that does not get tucked into your laptop bag. If that bag gets stolen or left behind, then there was no point in the extra backup. This extra backup will allow you to purchase or borrow another machine and still make the most of the trip.
Just as important is making sure you have run updates on your operating system, current anti-virus, and that your laptop firewall will be on (or that you know how to turn it on) when you're traveling.
If you carry any confidential or regulated information (think HIPAA, proprietary/financial data, or the super secret plans for your island lair), make sure you are using whole disk encryption. This encrypts your entire drive and requires a password before the operating system even starts. It’s an extra step on every boot but is critical if you have data that needs an additional layer of security. Should your laptop get stolen, then all you've lost is the laptop (you did back up your data already, right?). Yes, it’s a pain in elbow to have to buy a new device but much less so than having your confidential information out in the wild.
And when you're not using your laptop, shut it down completely. Your laptop’s sleep/hibernation mode does not cause the drive to be in an encrypted state.
Tomorrow: Prevent and Purify
We covered a lot of ground today, so we’ll finish the discussion tomorrow, when we’ll share some additional practical tips to use every time you travel.
Jeff Garell is a co-founder of Convergent Technologies Group.
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