Travel requires hedging against many perils; for workplace laptops and devices, perils include hacking, system failure, loss, theft and damage. Protecting your employees and members from all angles with these backup solutions for travellers will ensure that even if disaster strikes, their work can continue unabated.

Physical Protection

Before implementing backup solutions, physically protecting devices will mitigate potential physical damage and the resulting loss of data.

Laptop/tablet protection includes:

• Protective hard case shell
• Silicone keyboard cover (protects against drips, dust, and dirt)
• High-Quality case/sleeve

Phone protection includes:

• Drop-proof/shock-proof case (waterproof case optional depending on circumstances)
• Screen protector

Password Storage/Backup

It’s imperative to use unique (complicated) passwords for every site/user profile, and impossible to remember them all! And using the same password for multiple logins is a big no-no as that’s exactly what hackers anticipate.

Storing passwords in a document on your computer that gets hacked compromises everything; other problems arise when computer data is damaged and not backed up properly.

The solution involves using an encrypted password storage service.

The most popular cloud-based solution is LastPass, which syncs across all devices, and the browser extension automatically populates login fields. You can also share (and revoke) login information with coworkers and employees so they can log in without knowing the password itself.

An even more secure option is KeePass; an open-source program that stores password information locally instead of in the cloud.

Both services have free and paid versions and can generate random passwords.

Multiple Backup Strategies

If you back everything up onto a portable drive that gets lost/damaged, it’s useless. If you use a cloud-based backup service and don’t have internet, it’s also useless. Thus, a multi-pronged approach is vital.

Portable Hard Drive

Choose a durable travel-friendly USB hard drive. Always keep it separate from your laptop so if it goes missing, you still have the hard drive. Encrypt it for extra protection.

Cloud Storage

Auto-sync backup programs have the most up-to-date versions of your work. Note that free versions have limited storage capacity and aren’t encrypted.

Dropbox auto-syncs from your computer to the cloud, and has decent file-sharing. Because the free version has only 2GB of storage, it’s best for just documents.

GoogleDrive offers 15GB of free storage (including Gmail and GooglePhotos; G-Suite for business offers more for a fee), and allows your team to collaborate on documents simultaneously from around the world. Downside: if your internet connection is slow or down (as can happen when travelling), files are inaccessible.

Online Backup

Online encrypted backup programs have business and personal versions for secure computer backups. For employee laptops, choose a well-reviewed service like BackBlaze or CrashPlan with high-quality encryption (it’ll cost, but it’s worthwhile if your employee’s laptop is damaged/lost on a work trip).

Protecting Computer Files

In addition to backing up your computer files, encryption goes a long way if your laptop is stolen. Microsoft’s BitLocker and Apple’s FileVault are built-in programs; a popular open-source alternative is VeraCrypt.

By backing up all data using a combination of the strategies outlined here, you’ll ensure that your employees’ business and personal information remains secure and their productivity isn’t interrupted, no matter what happens.

For more insight, visit Travel Navigator.