How do savvy CIA officers travel safely? They bring their own door stop, ask for a room on the hotel’s middle floors, and go to great lengths to protect their data.
SPYSCAPE has gathered top travel tips from international security experts - and they’re not just for spies. You too can travel incognito and protect yourself from prying eyes.
BEFORE YOU GO
1. Secure your data
Limit your 'attack surface' by limiting the amount of devices you carry that can be susceptible to loss, theft, or unwarranted searches when traveling abroad, said Emily Crose, a SPYEX consultant and former officer with the CIA, NSA, and an INSCOM infosec specialist.
Backup all information before you leave. If you’re traveling to potentially hostile countries, don’t take your regular business or personal devices.
“Take a new sterile device dedicated only to this trip and/or return travel to the same country,” said SPYEX consultant Peter Warmka, a former senior CIA officer and cybersecurity expert. “Avoid logging into your personal social media accounts while in these countries.”
Security services and criminals can track your movements using your mobile phone or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and can turn on the microphone in your device even when you think it’s off. “To prevent this, remove the battery,” advises the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
If you can’t remove your battery, switch the device off. If you prefer to keep your cell phone on or want additional protection, slip it into a Faraday bag to secure your data, said SPYEX consultannt Bob Dougherty, a former CIA undercover officer who runs overseas travel security and awareness courses at US-based Tartarus Intel.
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How do savvy CIA officers travel safely? They bring their own door stop, ask for a room on the hotel’s middle floors, and go to great lengths to protect their data.
SPYSCAPE has gathered top travel tips from international security experts - and they’re not just for spies. You too can travel incognito and protect yourself from prying eyes.
BEFORE YOU GO
1. Secure your data
Limit your 'attack surface' by limiting the amount of devices you carry that can be susceptible to loss, theft, or unwarranted searches when traveling abroad, said Emily Crose, a SPYEX consultant and former officer with the CIA, NSA, and an INSCOM infosec specialist.
Backup all information before you leave. If you’re traveling to potentially hostile countries, don’t take your regular business or personal devices.
“Take a new sterile device dedicated only to this trip and/or return travel to the same country,” said SPYEX consultant Peter Warmka, a former senior CIA officer and cybersecurity expert. “Avoid logging into your personal social media accounts while in these countries.”
Security services and criminals can track your movements using your mobile phone or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and can turn on the microphone in your device even when you think it’s off. “To prevent this, remove the battery,” advises the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
If you can’t remove your battery, switch the device off. If you prefer to keep your cell phone on or want additional protection, slip it into a Faraday bag to secure your data, said SPYEX consultannt Bob Dougherty, a former CIA undercover officer who runs overseas travel security and awareness courses at US-based Tartarus Intel.
Keywords like ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’, ‘yes/no’, ‘help’, and ‘police’ come in handy. Use the CIA World Travel Facts or Britain’s Foreign Travel Advice website to research international destinations. When you arrive, ask a local airport official how much it costs for a public shuttle or taxi to your hotel. Negotiate the taxi price before loading your baggage or getting inside. Only use clearly marked taxis from the official queue with a functioning meter and the driver’s ID displayed inside.
3. Pack your own door stop
Automatic hotel room locks can be forced open and chains cut. Always use the hotel deadbolt and consider investing in a traveler’s portable door stop like a spy siren door stop.
4. Write down important phone numbers
Have a list of emergency contacts, your country’s local embassy, etc. They may be already stored in your phone, but what if it’s stolen? Also, make sure someone knows where you’re going and when you should be back, advises Matthew Bradley, a former CIA officer: “They should know who to call if you don’t check in.”
5. Copy your passport and secure personal data
In some countries, hotels request passports to be left at the front desk. See if they’ll accept your copy. If you’re worried about thieves skimming personal details off of your passport or cards, consider investing in an RFID passport cover or a bag with an RFID blocking feature to prevent data theft.
HOTEL SECURITY
6. Know your escape route
Familiarize yourself with the hotel emergency evacuation plans. How many doors are between yours and the nearest stairwell? Could you find it in the dark? In a smoky haze? Use the elevator (unless it’s an emergency). Stairs are great for exercise, but crimes frequently occur in isolated stairwells.
7. Ask for a room on a middle floor
You’re vulnerable to break-ins on the lower floors and the emergency response team may not be equipped to reach higher than a few floors off the ground. Jason Hanson, ex-CIA officer and author of Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life, recommends staying between floors three and six because criminals target the first two floors so they can escape quickly and "in the United States a fire truck ladder will reach only to the sixth floor."
8. Protect your electronic data, privacy, and security in your hotel
Never leave your electronic devices unattended in the room, even if they are in the hotel safe.
If you think your hotel room is bugged, move. “All of these people who sell that ‘Sweep your hotel room before you go into it [devices]’... most of that stuff is worthless,” said SPYEX’s Bob Dougherty. “I would simply request another room. Go down to the hotel desk and say, ‘This room is not acceptable. It’s too dirty. It’s too noisy, etc.’”
And don’t open your door to unsolicited visitors. Call the front desk and confirm who is knocking on your door before opening it - particularly if you didn’t request a special delivery, turndown service, room service, maintenance, or housekeeping.
ON THE TOWN
9. Lock the car doors - whether it’s a rental or a taxi
Lock your car door and keep the windows rolled up if possible. Don’t let carjackers take advantage of an opportunity.
10. Maintain situational awareness
Use all five senses to pay attention to what’s happening around you to spot signs if something is amiss. Situational awareness also allows you to soak up your destination’s unique atmosphere.
11. Be mindful of alcohol and honey traps
Alcohol impairs alertness and judgment. Be on guard if someone tries to engage you in a conversation or offers their assistance during your stay. Foreign business travelers can be very vulnerable targets for classic honey traps.
12. Walk the walk
Don’t look lost, distracted or like an easy target. Don’t stand on a busy street corner poring over a map or your smartphone. Don’t show off extravagant items or expensive watches and electronics that might attract thieves. Keep moving.
13. Plan your route and reroute as necessary
Whether you’re traveling by car, public transit, or on foot, prepare in advance. Use a map or ask the hotel desk for directions. If your activities take you through a dangerous part of town, take a different route. Adjust your plans and routes to avoid walking alone at night and stick to well-lit, populated areas.
14. Trust your instincts
When something doesn’t feel right, it often isn’t. Is someone following you across multiple locations? Standing too close? Loitering outside your room? If a situation raises your suspicions, remove yourself from it or seek help.
15. The fastest way to get out of a crisis is to avoid trouble in the first place
If you hear a disturbance unfolding when you’re out, steer clear. The commotion could be a danger or a distraction designed to help someone pickpocket you. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Get home safely.
And finally, don’t let your guard down on the return journey home, advises P.J. ‘Red’ Reilly, a British MI6 agent for 18 years.Otherwise, you might relax a bit too much and find yourself in a cell and under interrogation rather than raising a dry martini.
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