Encrypting data

Apart from direct attacks, confidential data can be "leaked" in other ways. Mobile devices containing confidential data can be lost or stolen. If the data is not encrypted, the new owner of the device can view the information with little effort.

The same applies to nosey visitors in your hotel room if you leave your laptop there (you can’t rely on hotel room privacy in every country and in some countries industrial espionage is common practice).

You should therefore keep the following things in mind when travelling:

Either encrypt the data or do not store it locally on the device at all

• If you save information such as unpublished research results on your mobile device, it should be encrypted.
• Alternatively, prior to travelling, you can selectively store only the data you need on the mobile device or on a separate computer. Your main laptop stays at home.
• If you are not sure if you will need additional data or files, you can do two things:
  • use the Leibniz Supercomputing Center online storage service and access the data when needed
  • store the data on an encrypted USB stick

Clarify the use of encrypted data prior to traveling

• Before traveling, clarify if the use of encrypted data is permitted in the destination country. The United States customs authorities have been known to demand that arriving passengers divulge data being brought into the country.
• Apart from the United States, encrypted data can also be an issue in China, France and some Arabic countries. For this reason, if possible, avoid taking confidential data along or inquire about the current status in the destination country before you travel.
• Information is also available from the International Chamber of Commerce and the Department of State.

Backup the data before travelling

Data loss is another problem if the mobile device stops working or is lost. Make sure you backup your data before leaving!