Be extra careful in China, Russia
Q: I am planning a trip to Russia this year and am unsure about what sort of precautions are recommended for one’s iPhone. I’ve heard that in places such as China and Russia there are elevated risks of hacking, including from state security personnel that extend to everyday tourists. Do you have any suggestions?
A:
Places such as Russia and China are considered high risk in terms of traveling with mobile technology such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop.
While there are always risks when traveling abroad, these countries can be particularly hostile to visitors from the United States. It’s not just runof-the-mill scammers and thieves, who are pretty much everywhere these days; the governments of these countries have been known to conduct electronic surveillance on visitors.
My recommendation would be to leave your computer and other devices at home while you travel to these countries. You can always pick up a phone when you arrive if you need to make phone calls while you are there.
If you absolutely must travel with your phone, I would suggest taking the time to remove things such as your email account and any banking apps while you are out of the country. I would also make sure you have a strong six-digit PIN set for the lock screen.
If you are taking a laptop, consider encrypting it. Windows has Bitlocker built in and Apple has FileVault. Both are easy to use and can help protect your data in the event you lost possession of the computer.
I would also recommend staying off of public Wi-Fi. The networks are rarely secured and you never know who or what is connected. If you know you will be using public Wi-Fi, consider installing a VPN client before you leave and learn how to use it.