Safe Computing While Traveling Internationally
High-Risk Travel Loaner Program
Travel is often part of the job for faculty, researchers, and collaborators. Taking your laptop or mobile device when you travel, however, significantly increases the possibility of data and identity theft. If you are traveling to a high-risk country, the UMass Chan travel loaner program will make travel easy while helping secure your data.
Travel Loaner devices are required when traveling to high-risk countries (link to authoritative federal source) and ensures that faculty and staff will have the applications and information they need while minimizing the amount of sensitive data that is carried abroad.
When preparing for your travel to high-risk countries, you will be asked to confirm that you will not be taking UMass Chan laptops, tablets or phones with you as well as personal devices that you conduct Medical School business. You will be instructed how to engage Information Technology (link to a high-risk travel page) who will assist you in preparing your Travel Kit.
General Requirements for Travelers to High-Risk Countries:
- Only bring necessary data. Do not travel with unnecessary sensitive data or intellectual property
- Never bring USB’s or Thumb Drives to High-Risk Countries
- These are easily lost, stolen or confiscated by government officials
- You must register your trip to High Risk Countries with the UMass Chan Travel Office
- Information Technology will assist you in preparing your Travel Kit
- When registering for your trip to High-Risk Countries, Information Security will be notified and may reach out to you to ensure that your devices and access to UMass Chan resources are properly protected
- Ensure that your data is backed up before you leave
- You will be required to change your UMass Chan passwords upon return from your travels to High Risk Countries
- You must return all loaner devices to the Help Desk located in the Medical School building immediately when you return so they may be wiped and secured
Program Features
The High-Risk Travel Loaner program offers a number of options: a MacBook Air kit, a Dell Laptop kit or an iPad Air kit.
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KIT |
ACCESSORIES (TBD) |
APPS/SOFTWARE (TBD) |
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iPad Air 9.7" |
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MacBook Air 13" |
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Dell Laptop |
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Apple iPhone 11 |
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Android Phone |
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You can learn more about the program and how to reserve your High-risk travel kit here. (Link to travel loaner page)
Increased Risk: Traveling with UMass Chan Equipment
If you feel your needs cannot be met by a loaner laptop, and that you must bring your UMass Chan laptop, specific approvals must be granted by the Chair of your Department. Additionally, all devices that you plan to take to any High-Risk Country must be reviewed by Information Security before you leave to ensure necessary security software is installed and running. Information Security will also identify your access as High Risk and set up special notifications for any anomalous activity while you are traveling. Upon return, you may be asked to sacrifice your devices for a period of time so they may be scanned and cleaned. Loaner devices may be provided to you during that time.
If you are approved to travel with your UMass Chan assets, at a minimum, you will need to accomplish the following steps prior to leaving:
- Make sure your computer is fully backed up and encrypted.
- Request a scan be run to help track down documents with non-public data (e.g. Social Security Numbers and Credit Card Numbers) and remove those documents from your computer.
- Remove from your computer any documents containing Protected Health Information (PHI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), including your own PII, and intellectual property of UMass Chan unless it is integral to your visit.
- When you return, your computer will be confiscated and deeply scanned for malware and security anomalies and reimaged.
- Be aware that this process may require up to two weeks to accomplish. So please allow sufficient time to complete the necessary functions.
China: A Special Travel Situation
Travelers to the People's Republic of China have experienced a range of issues. Assume that all your electronic communications are monitored and recorded.
- Access to services that we take for granted like Gmail and Google Apps, Wikipedia, and Yahoo WebMail are often blocked altogether or filtered. The following web site identifies URL’s that are blocked in China: http://www.greatfirewallofchina.org/
- Skype connections are monitored by the government.
- Wi-Fi is typically monitored, and users report that their connections drop frequently.
- VPN’s provide more secure communication platforms, but the Chinese Government has sophisticated tools that have been known to crack some VPN encryption. Those using VPNs report 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.
- These occurrences are part of the normal experience in China. Assume that your systems and data are at risk.
Getting started
If you are traveling to a high-risk country, request a Travel Loaner kit at least one week before traveling. A UMass Chan Information Technology consultant will meet with you to determine which hardware, apps, and accessories you'll need, install the required apps, and provide any necessary training. Upon your return, you must immediately return you Kit to the UMass Chan Help Desk. You are not to attempt to connect any devices to the UMass Chan Network.
*Internal Note: We should identify mac addresses or IP’s and prevent those devices from directly connecting to UMass Chan.
For security reasons, the system will be erased when it is returned to UMass Chan IT, if any evidence of malware or anomalous activity is present the device will be quarantined.
More international travel tips and resources (links and content)
- International travel mobile device tips (need content)
- Using WiFi abroad (need content)
- Security guidelines for international travel (need content)
- Recommendations for travelers to high risk countries (need content)
- Recommendations for travelers to low risk countries (need content)