Reposting of campus message on 5/31/23
Colleagues,
For many of us, the start of summer begins after the Memorial Day weekend. Summer often means travel, and the Information Security Office would like to remind everyone of a few important points:
- Technology is highly targeted by thieves, especially in travel areas and popular destinations. Leave all unnecessary devices or equipment at home or in a locked office.
- Devices like laptops and tablets are often lost during busy airport security screening lines and in crowded terminals. Make sure devices are encrypted and use strong passwords in case the device is lost or stolen.
- To prevent the exposure of information on a lost or stolen device, remove sensitive or confidential information from your devices before traveling. You can safely store data on university servers or approved cloud storage systems like Box.com for later remote access.
- Use VPN when connecting to unknown or unfamiliar networks. Also, even if prompted when connecting to unfamiliar networks, do not install software or helper applications, as these are often designed to eavesdrop on connections, even over VPN.
- Not using wireless? Disable WIFI and Bluetooth on your devices to prevent unintended connections to unknown services when possible.
Traveling internationally? Follow these additional steps to further protect your devices and the information they contain:
- Plan ahead! Research the international requirements for each country you plan to visit. The State Department has travel safety information for every country on their website. (https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/cybersecurity-tips-international-travelers)
- Some countries have restrictions on encrypted devices. Familiarize yourself with your destination’s laws about technology and check especially for encryption import restrictions.
- Be aware of potential export restrictions when traveling internationally. (https://research.rice.edu/compliance/export-control/international-travel)
For more information, please visit our traveling with technology website at https://iso.rice.edu/travel-technology or contact the OIT Help Desk at 713-348-HELP or helpdesk@rice.edu.
Thank you and have a great summer!
Marc Scarborough
Chief Information Security Officer