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One Step Ahead: Happy Holidays and Safe Travels

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Another tip in a series provided by the Offices of Information Security, Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Privacy

Like many, you may be packing your bags to travel during the holidays, visiting family and friends, or exploring a new destination. Before you leave work and home on your trip, please pay attention to the following advice:

  1. Back up your data to avoid data loss or corruption.
  2. Ensure your Penn Two-Step verification Duo works and follow the Two-Step Verification: Before You Travel guidance.
  3. Avoid carrying University-sensitive data unless necessary. Work with your IT support staff to locate and encrypt sensitive data. Review the Penn Data Risk Classification to understand the type of data that may be stored locally on your device.
  4. Check the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories for any restrictions in the country you are visiting. Keep the U.S. Embassy’s number with you while traveling in case of an unforeseen emergency.
  5. Keep your financial institution’s contact information with you in case of credit or debit card loss.  
  6. Check with your department’s IT staff if they offer loaner computing devices to use during travel.

During travel, carry your computing devices, passport, and travel tickets in a locked bag, and do not leave them unattended. If you need access to a Penn system, avoid using public computers and internet services like at a café. Preferably, connect to Penn systems by running a Virtual Private Network (VPN). You can ask your IT support staff about using a VPN before traveling.

Before returning home, check that you have securely packed your computing devices. After your safe return, and if you removed data from your computer before traveling, you can transfer it back. Work with your IT support staff to scan your computer for malware.

Resources:

For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/news-alerts#One-Step-Ahead.

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