Technology Recommendations for Travelers to High-Risk Countries
Technology Recommendations for Travelers to High-Risk Countries
UB faculty and staff traveling to high-risk countries should follow these guidelines to keep information on their devices safe from cyberattacks.
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What are high-risk countries?
UB compiles a list of high-risk countries that are the subject of Travel Warnings by the U.S. Department of State and countries identified as high risk by other U.S. Government sources such as the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
Afghanistan
Algeria
Belarus
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Camaroon
Central African Republic
Chad
China, The People’s Republic of
Colombia
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Crimea (Region of the Ukraine)
Cuba
Egypt
El Salvador
Eritrea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Iran
Iraq
Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
Kenya
Lebanon
Libya
Mali
Mauritania
Mexico
Myanmar
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
Pakistan
Philippines
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Somalia
South Sudan, Republic of
Sudan
Syria
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
Venezuela
Yemen
Zimbabwe
Last updated December 2018
Best practices
Before you go
Forward your voicemail to email. This saves you from having to dial into your voicemail account, potentially revealing your voicemail passcode
If your device is lost or stolen, have printed passcodes available for use, and keep them as secure as sensitive documents like your passport. To do this, visit buffalo.edu/ubit/duo and select Manage Account. The Duo Mobile app can still also generate passcodes when your phone does not have a reliable Internet connection.
While you're traveling
Do not plug your phone into USB charger kiosks. There may be a hostile computer on the other end of that innocent-looking wire
Be aware of your surroundings. Watch for those looking over your shoulder or potential thieves
Do not leave your devices unattended. Even hotel safes are not secure
Use the UB VPN if accessing university resources outside of UB
If you brought your computer, save any documents you created while traveling to an external drive and restore from your pre-departure backup
Traveling with computers
Best: Travel light
We strongly recommend that you leave your current devices here and travel with a UB-provided loaner device. Loaner devices are set up specifically for your use and wiped back to factory settings upon your return. Contact your departmental IT support to see if loaners are available.
Good: Travel with less data
Another option is to take a new or freshly rebuilt machine and only take the data you’ll need for the trip.
Whenever possible, do not travel with a USB device or other removable media storage. These are easily lost and easily corrupted. If you must travel with a USB device, be sure that it’s encrypted.
Remove unnecessary data, such as emails you have downloaded, before you travel.
Minimum: Travel encrypted
If you must take your laptop or tablet, there are additional steps you should take before you go:
Make sure your device is fully backed up and encrypted
Remove any documents containing Category 1- Restricted Data and Category 2- Private Data
When you return, save the documents you created while traveling to another device, completely wipe the device, and restore it from the backup made before your travel.
Traveling with mobile phones
Best: Go without
The first thing to consider is whether you really need a mobile phone. Are you going to make calls? Can you get by with a Wi-Fi-only device? Can you get by without a phone for a short trip?
Good: Get it there
Purchase, rent, or borrow a phone at your destination. You can also take an unlocked phone and purchase a local SIM card.
Minimum: Have a plan
If you must use your own phone:
Back it up before you leave
Enroll it in an international rate plan to avoid incurring exorbitant roaming charges
Save your data, reset to factory defaults, and restore your backup when you return
Make sure your apps and operating system are up to date, turn on Duo two-step verification (buffalo.edu/ubit/duo), and use security measures to lock your devices.
Planning ahead protects your privacy and reduces the risk to your personal information and the university’s information.
China: a special travel situation
What to expect while you’re traveling
Travelers to the People's Republic of China have experienced a range of issues:
Access to services that we take for granted like Gmail and other Google apps, Wikipedia, and Yahoo Web Mail are often blocked altogether or filtered
Skype connections may be monitored by the government
Those using VPNs reported that they are often cut off for hours at a time
Hotel staff and government officials can access hotel room safes, so don't expect that a computer or mobile device left in a hotel safe will be secure