For many international business travelers, crossing a border means more than just a stamp in their passport. It also means making sure cell phones and laptops stay secure. Whether it’s an intrusion from foreign hackers or the evermore-invasive surveillance of customs officials, protecting sensitive data – both personal and business – has never been more complicated. As a result, more and more jet-setting corporate employees are making sure to secure their devices before their trip and while on the move. “Although mobile devices can facilitate connecting back to headquarters and maintaining workflow, the risk for exploitation of these devices and the information accessed can greatly increase on overseas travel,” warns the US Department of State Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). Before Departure The OSAC’s best practices guide for traveling with mobile devices suggests several steps business travelers should take before stepping out the front door. As a matter of course, all nonessential devices should simply be left at home. Data can also be kept local through a backup on an external hard drive or a secure cloud-based service. For travelling devices, it’s important to make sure all software and apps are up-to-date. That means upgrading passwords with stronger variables and initiating file encryption with tools provided by BitLocker, TrueCrypt or Apple Firevault. Bluetooth and GPS should also be disabled and available firewalls enacted. During Travel Once you’re on the road, there are plenty of ways for your device to be compromised. In addition to maintaining physical control whenever possible, the best way to protect your device in transit is to power down before entering customs. As an added step, Wired recommends disabling any biometric access – like Apple’s TouchID – and sticking to PIN accessibility. It’s good practice to disable automatic Wi-Fi connections and use a...

For most of us, the smartphone has become the latest version of “don’t leave home without it” – remember that old American Express slogan from back in 1985? Most of us can’t make it more than a few minutes without access to our personal communication devices, which double as mini-computers and someday very soon will probably supplant our credit cards as a financial transaction point of contact. Most of us have adapted to the positive implications of the mobile technology we are carrying in our pockets. But we are less aware of the capable sensor suite, and associated risk, that is probably within your visible – or at least audible – range at this very second. Scientists and researchers have examined phones from all the angles, trying to help us prepare for any threats to the security of our personal information and data contained therein. One facet of the study on mobile phones involves the accelerometer’s power to detect vibrations. According to a research conducted by the computer scientists at Georgia Tech, placing a phone on a desk can detect the vibrations from keys pressed on a nearby keyboard and even pick out words with an accuracy of up to 80 percent. Although this type of attack might be more difficult than other methods of keylogging it can be a highly effective espionage story. “The best-case scenario, if you are an attacker, is if you are going after a very specific person”, says assistant professor at Georgia Tech, Patrick Traynor. “I think it is realistic in that case.” Accelerometers track movement in three dimensions: side-to-side, forward-and-backward and up-and-down. Analyzing the data they collect can give a good idea of the number code or pattern used to protect a smartphone. Adam J. Aviv, Katherine Gibson,...

Canceling credit cards and getting a new drivers license after an “old-fashioned” wallet is lost or stolen is no picnic. But what if you lost your wallet with $900 inside, plus your address book, your bank passwords, access to your email and social media accounts? That’s what it is like when you lose your smartphone or have it stolen. No wonder that these days travelers worry more about losing their phone than their wedding ring, according to a recent Intel survey. Around 60 million smartphones and cellphones are lost, stolen or damaged each year, according to Asurion, an insurance cellphone provider. A replacement could cost you as much as $850 for the device alone if your loss is a top-of-the-line iPhone and you aren’t eligible for an upgrade in the near future. While your phone is still in your possession, keep these in mind: Password-protect it. This is the easiest and most secure way to keep your device private. Don’t be too lazy to enter your password every time you need to access your phone; you will be sorry afterwards for not taking this measure. Sign up for a “Find my Phone” service. All new smartphones come with the “find my phone” app that tracks your device, regardless of the carrier or insurance. Check your phone for this app and activate it. Go as far as to install extra security apps – Prey (iOS, Android, Linux, OSX, Windows), Lookout (iOS, Android), etc. iCloud: Erase your device remotely (for iOS and OS X devices) The safest way to protect the data you have on your phone, from contacts to electronic banking software, is to revoke access to the device by remotely locking or wiping it. Make sure you’ve been using the iCloud Backup or had...