Traveling with a work laptop

Before you go

• Install updates and restart, so you are not doing it on hotel Wi-Fi.
• Check that the laptop is encrypted and that your files are in OneDrive or SharePoint, so a lost laptop does not mean lost work.
• Bring only what you need. Leave behind devices and files that are not part of the trip.
• Save the help desk number in your phone.

On the way

• Keep it with you. Carry it on, never check it in. At security, watch it come out the other side.
• Lock the screen whenever you step away, and do not leave it in a car.
• Use a privacy screen on planes and trains if you work on sensitive material.

At the hotel or conference

• Use your phone’s hotspot instead of public or hotel Wi-Fi when you can.
• Use your own charger in a wall socket. Avoid public USB charging ports and cables you did not bring.
• Keep the laptop in a locked bag or the room safe when you go out.
• Do not plug in USB drives handed out at events.

If it is lost or stolen

Call your IT provider straight away, then the police. The faster IT knows, the faster accounts can be secured and the device wiped.