Information security for business travel: a practical guide

When people travel for work, they carry far more than a suitcase. Their laptops and phones hold e-mails, proposals, financial spreadsheets, customer data and access to company systems. Away from the office, that information faces risks the daily routine does not: unknown Wi-Fi networks, devices left behind in taxis, conversations overheard in departure lounges and screens visible to whoever sits in the next seat.

At ArrowTur, which has managed corporate travel since 1989, we see that information security on business trips rarely fails because of a sophisticated attack. Most of the time, the problem starts with a simple oversight that a few clear rules could have prevented. This guide brings together what the company and the traveler can do before, during and after the trip.

Why travel increases the risk

At the office, the network is controlled, devices stay in a familiar environment and the IT team is close by. On the road, all of that changes at once. Employees connect their laptops to hotel, airport and café networks, work in crowded places, carry their devices through several transfers a day and are often tired and in a hurry. That is exactly when a device gets left behind or a document is opened on an untrusted network.

Beyond the direct damage, data loss can have legal consequences. In Brazil, personal data of customers and employees is protected by the LGPD (Brazil’s General Data Protection Law, similar to the European GDPR), and the company is responsible for safeguarding it, even when it sits on a laptop in a hotel room.

Before the trip: prepare the devices

The best protection starts before boarding. It is worth agreeing on a short checklist with the IT team for everyone who travels:

• Updated system and apps: install pending updates before leaving, so you do not depend on outside networks to do it.
• Disk encryption: if the laptop is lost or stolen, the files remain unreadable to whoever finds it.
• Strong password and automatic lock: on both laptop and phone, with the screen locking after a few minutes of inactivity.
• Two-factor authentication: enabled on e-mail and corporate systems, preferably with an authenticator app.
• Only what you need: keep on the device only the files the trip requires; the rest can stay in the company’s cloud storage.
• Up-to-date backup: if the device disappears, the work is not lost.
• Remote locate and wipe: enabled on phone and laptop, so the device can be locked or erased remotely.

International trips call for extra attention. In some countries, border authorities may ask to inspect electronic devices. Advise travelers to follow the company policy and to carry as little sensitive information stored locally as possible.

Public Wi-Fi, chargers and other traps

Hotel or airport Wi-Fi is convenient, but it is not secure by default. Anyone on the same network may try to intercept traffic, and fake networks with names similar to the official ones are a well-known trap.

• Use the corporate VPN whenever you connect outside the company network.
• Prefer your phone’s hotspot over open networks when accessing sensitive systems.
• Confirm the network name with the hotel front desk before connecting.
• Turn off automatic connection to open networks and file sharing.
• Avoid public USB ports to charge your phone; use your own charger in a power outlet or a power bank.
• Do not use shared computers in the business center to access e-mail or company systems.

During the trip: watch what is on display

Many leaks happen without any technology involved. A loud phone call in the departure lounge, a presentation open on the plane or a badge hanging around the neck in public already gives away a lot of information.

• A privacy filter on the laptop screen keeps the person next to you from reading it.
• Conversations about clients, figures and strategy belong in private spaces, not in restaurants, taxis or queues.
• Keep your device with you: laptops go in carry-on baggage, never in checked bags, and are never left in the car or on a café table.
• At the hotel, use the room safe when the device fits and do not leave printed documents on the desk.
• Lock the screen every time you stand up, even for a minute.

Traveler data needs protection too

Information security for business travel goes beyond the files on a laptop. The travel process itself moves personal data: full name, documents, date of birth, phone number, corporate card and itinerary. That data passes through the company, the travel agency, airlines and hotels.

A few simple measures help: centralize bookings in an official channel instead of exchanging passport copies by e-mail or chat; limit who can access traveler profiles; and do not share executives’ itineraries on social media or in large e-mail lists. Booking tools with login-protected traveler profiles reduce the number of loose documents in circulation.

If something goes wrong: what to do

Even with every precaution, incidents happen. What determines the size of the damage is how fast you respond. The travel policy should make clear:

• Who to notify immediately in case of loss, theft or suspected unauthorized access, with an IT contact that works outside business hours.
• Which passwords to change and how to lock or wipe the device remotely.
• How to file a report locally in case of theft.
• How to keep working: access to a spare device or to cloud systems for the rest of the trip.

After the trip, take a quick moment to review: delete downloaded files that are no longer needed, check for unusual sign-ins on your accounts and, if there was an incident, record what happened so the policy can be adjusted.

Information security for business travel with ArrowTur

ArrowTur helps reduce the circulation of traveler data: bookings are centralized in our self-booking tool, with login-protected traveler profiles, the travel policy applied in the system and approvals on record, with no passport copies going back and forth by e-mail. Our team supports travelers Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Brasília time), with emergency support outside those hours, including rebooking flights when something forces a change of plans. Learn about our corporate travel solution or register your company.

To talk to our sales team, call +55 11 5189-4120 or message us on WhatsApp.

Read also: Duty of care: how to keep employees safe on business trips.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to use hotel Wi-Fi for work?

For simple tasks, yes, as long as the company VPN is on. To access sensitive systems, your phone’s hotspot is usually safer than an open network.

What should I do if a company laptop is lost while traveling?

Notify IT immediately, change your main passwords and ask for the device to be locked or wiped remotely. If it was stolen, file a report locally.

Should the travel policy cover information security?

Yes. A short section with the device checklist, network usage rules and the incident contact is enough. What matters is that travelers know the rules before they board.