Risky Business Travel: How to Protect Your Trade Secrets and Information Overseas

Most travelers are unaware of their exposure insofar as having trade secrets and confidental (or even not-so-confidential) information compromised while travelling.

I spoke with several experts on what can be done and tried to summarize everything in a relatively short but hopefully helpful article.

I'm happy to try to address any questions that might come up (although I'm not the expert here although I did learn a lot doing the research) and any additional info that would be helpful is very welcome!

Risky Business Travel: How to Protect Your Trade Secrets and Information Overseas

Tom Lehrer gave travelers some advice in his song "Pollution," advising "just two things of which you must be aware: don't drink the water and don't breath the air."

What M.H., a former intelligence official currently employed in the private sector, does when he travels makes Lehrer's advice seem quaint.

M.H., who asked that we refer to him by initials that are not actually his because of the sensitivity of his position, does not take his regular laptop or smartphone with him on trips. Instead, he takes a "loaner" device that has none of his files or passwords on it.

"In some countries, it's almost a guarantee that your devices will be virtually or logically attacked," he told us. As a result, M.H. simply doesn't bring any technology with him that he can't afford to have compromised. …...

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