Protect phones and laptops on holiday trips: safer airport and hotel Wi-Fi, phone theft protection settings, travel mode, and what to do if a device goes missing.
Thanksgiving is November 26 this year, and the weeks that follow are the busiest travel stretch of the year at the Albuquerque International Sunport and every airport you might connect through. Travel is also when phones and laptops are most exposed. You are rushed, connecting to networks you do not control, and carrying devices that hold your email, banking apps, and often company data. About twenty minutes of preparation before you leave removes most of the risk.
Before You Leave: A Twenty-Minute Checklist
Install pending updates on your phone, tablet, and laptop while you are still on your home network. A hotel connection is a poor place to download a large one. Next, confirm that your backup has run recently. Our backup basics article explains what a dependable backup looks like.
Make sure every device locks with a strong passcode plus fingerprint or face unlock, and that the laptop drive is encrypted. BitLocker on Windows and FileVault on a Mac both do this, and it only takes a minute to check. Finally, confirm that the built-in tracking service is enabled: Find My on Apple devices, or Find Hub (formerly Find My Device) on Android.
Public Wi-Fi at Airports, Hotels, and Coffee Shops
Most websites and apps now encrypt their traffic, so the main risk on public Wi-Fi today is fake networks. Anyone can set up a hotspot that copies the name of an airport or hotel network, then show a convincing login page that asks for your email password. This is called an evil twin network, and people have been arrested for running them in airports and on flights.
A few habits keep you out of trouble. Ask the hotel or airline for the exact network name. Never enter your email, Microsoft 365, or social media password on a Wi-Fi sign-in page; a real guest network may ask for a room number, but not your password. Turn off automatic joining of open networks. For anything sensitive, such as banking or work systems, use the hotspot on your phone instead of the public network. If your employer provides a VPN, turn it on as soon as you are connected.
Charging Stations and USB Ports
The FCC and the TSA have both cautioned travelers about plugging phones directly into public USB ports, a risk known as juice jacking, where a tampered port could try to pull data from the phone or push something onto it. Confirmed real-world cases appear to be rare, and current phones ask for permission before sharing data over a cable. Still, the fix costs almost nothing: bring your own charger and plug it into a regular wall outlet, or carry a small power bank. If a prompt ever appears asking whether to trust the computer or share data while you are charging in public, choose no.
Make a Stolen Phone Useless to a Thief
Phone snatching is a bigger practical risk than Wi-Fi hacking. Thieves sometimes watch a victim type a passcode, then grab the phone and use the passcode to take over accounts and payment apps. Both major phone platforms now have settings designed for exactly this situation.
On an iPhone, turn on Stolen Device Protection under Face ID and Passcode in Settings. When the phone is away from familiar places such as home or work, it requires Face ID or Touch ID for sensitive actions, with no passcode fallback, and adds a waiting period before critical changes like a new Apple Account password. On Android, look for Theft protection in Settings. Depending on the phone model and Android version, it can lock the screen when it detects a snatch-and-run motion, lock the phone if it stays offline, and let you lock it remotely. Many of these options are off by default.
Use a longer passcode than four digits, and shield the screen when you type it in public. If you have moved your important accounts to passkeys or an authenticator app, as described in our passkeys guide, a thief with your phone number alone cannot easily reset your logins.
Travel Mode: Carry Less Data
The safest data is the data that is not on the device. Some password managers offer a travel mode. In 1Password, for example, it temporarily removes every vault from your devices except the ones you mark as safe for travel, and restores them when you turn it off. Even without that feature, you can sign out of apps you will not need and leave the work laptop at home if the trip is purely personal. If your business does not use a password manager yet, our password manager guide is a good starting point.
For international trips, rules about device inspection at borders vary by country. If you carry client or regulated data, ask your legal counsel or compliance advisor what to travel with.
If a Device Is Lost or Stolen
Act quickly. First, use Find My or Find Hub from another device to mark the phone or laptop as lost, which locks it and shows a contact message. If recovery looks unlikely, erase it remotely. Second, change the passwords for your email and financial accounts, starting with email, since it is the key to resetting everything else. Third, call your mobile carrier to suspend the line so the number cannot be used to receive security codes. Fourth, if the device had any work email or files on it, tell your employer or IT provider right away, even on a holiday. They can revoke access and watch for suspicious sign-ins. Finally, file a police report where the theft happened.
Expect follow-up scams. Thieves sometimes send texts that pretend to be from Apple or Google saying the phone was found and asking you to sign in. Those links are phishing, as covered in our phishing prevention guide.
Do Not Forget the House and the Office
Wait until you are home to post vacation photos, since a public post announces that the house is empty. Check that cameras, smart locks, and the router use strong, unique passwords; our smart home device security guide walks through it. At the office, remind staff that gift card and fake invoice requests spike while owners are away, as explained in our article on holiday gift card scams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is airport Wi-Fi safe to use?
It is generally fine for browsing and streaming, because most sites and apps encrypt their traffic. Confirm the official network name, never type an account password into a Wi-Fi sign-in page, and use your phone hotspot or a VPN for banking and work.
Do I need a VPN when I travel?
A VPN adds a layer of protection on networks you do not control. If your employer provides one, use it. For personal use, a phone hotspot gives similar protection for sensitive tasks without extra software.
Is it safe to charge my phone at an airport USB port?
The risk appears to be low, but federal agencies still recommend avoiding direct USB connections in public. Use your own charger in a wall outlet or a power bank, and decline any prompt to trust the connection or share data.
What should I do first if my phone is stolen while traveling?
Mark it as lost with Find My or Find Hub from another device, then change your email password and call your carrier to suspend the line. If the phone had work email on it, notify your IT provider immediately.
HelpTek helps Albuquerque and Santa Fe businesses and households get devices ready before a trip, from encryption and backups to account security, as part of our cybersecurity services. Our regular hours are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM, with 24/7 emergency response if a device with business data goes missing. Contact us before you travel and we will help you check the basics.
