Protecting Electronic Data Against the Pitfalls of Air Travel

PrintEmailSave to Favorites

With Thanksgiving only four days away, many Americans are preparing for the busiest travel week of the year, and not surprisingly, plenty of these holiday travelers will reach their destinations via plane. So, although I've previously shared some tips for protecting your electronic gadgets from airport security and securing your laptop while traveling, I think it's worth mentioning a few more ways to protect your electronic data against the perils of air travel. After all, I understand how maddening it can be to lose precious photos, videos, documents, and other important information due to unexpected circumstances in the air, on the road, and elsewhere.

Besides the possibility of damage from airport screening equipment, travelers also understandably fear the potential for theft among Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees. So, no matter where you're headed this holiday season, it might help to consider the following tips, courtesy of DriveSavers, a data recovery provider:

ᴥ Prepare for Stolen or Lost Gadgets: No matter how busy you are, protecting your data is imperative. By backing up all of your data (photos, videos, and important documents), you will be able to recover all of your valuable information should something happen in transit. You can make backups easier by automating the process with software. For added protection, use the triple-redundant method: Back up locally to a hard drive or other media; back up to a secondary local device and take the media off-site; back up across a network to a server or online backup service. Also, it's always a good idea to use a password manager for all of your gadgets, so if someone should get a hold of your laptop or iPhone, he or she would not be able to access all of your personal information.

ᴥ Take Care with Damaged Hard Drives: While not ideal, accidents do happen. If you do experience damage to your computer hard drive when traveling, remember not to use utility software if the drive makes scraping, tapping, clicking, or humming sounds. Also, do not power up a device that has obvious physical damage or is making unusual sounds. This may cause further damage or permanent data loss. If you have lost critical data, there are professional data recovery companies that could recover your data, quickly and securely!

ᴥ Rescue Your Battery: A common fear that most travelers have when it comes to their mobile devices, besides safety, is losing battery life. Luckily, there are a few tricks that can prolong your devices' life. First, you can turn the brightness down on your phone or tablet. Sure, this may make for a more dull appearance, but if you are looking to read your new book on a 12-hour plane ride, decreasing the level of brightness will help. Second, if your battery is getting low, you should avoid any high-charged activities that take more energy, like watching a movie. By being aware of the amount of battery that your phone or tablet activities are using, you will be able to enjoy your device without worrying about a recharge!

As I've mentioned in previous posts, other tips include encrypting your data, taking care when using free wireless Internet access, installing a security/anti-theft program on your laptop, and requesting a hand inspection at the airport. Of course, most of these tips apply to more than just air travel; accidents can happen on the road, too.

So, do you have any additional tips or experiences to share regarding data protection while traveling?

-----

As always, I’m open to ideas for future posts. If you have any suggestions, burning questions, or destinations that you’d like me to explore in greater detail, please comment below, contact me via laura [at] wanderingsoles [dot] com, or connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: While I occasionally accept free or discounted travel assistance when it coincides with my editorial goals, my opinion is never for sale, which means that everything written in my American Nomad blog and Moon travel guides is my unbiased reflection of the things that I see, do, and experience while traveling across the United States.

Photo of several handy jump drives / Text © 2012 Laura Martone

-----

Laura Martone is Moon’s American Nomad and the author of Moon New Orleans, Moon Michigan, Moon Florida Keys, and Moon Baja RV Camping.