The Business Owner’s Guide To Holiday Travel (That Won’t End In A Data Breach)

Imagine being three hours into a five-hour drive to visit family for the holidays. Your daughter asks, "Can I use your Roblox on your laptop?" Not just any laptop—the one that holds sensitive client files, financial records, and access to your entire business operation. You're drained from packing and still have hours ahead, so keeping her entertained sounds tempting. But is it really worth the risk?

Holiday travel introduces unique security challenges that your usual routine doesn't encounter. You're fatigued, distracted, connecting to unknown networks, and blending family time with "just a quick work check-in." Whether your trip is for business, leisure, or a mix of both, here's how to safeguard your data without spoiling the festive spirit.

Pre-Trip Essentials: 15 Minutes to Secure Success

Spend a quarter of an hour preparing before you hit the road to prevent issues later:

Device fundamentals:

• Update all security patches immediately
  
• Back up crucial files to a trusted cloud service
  
• Set your screen to auto-lock within two minutes
  
• Enable "Find My Device" on all phones and laptops
  
• Fully charge your portable power banks
  
• Bring your own charging cables and adapters
  

Discussing device use with the family:

• Clarify which gadgets are safe for children to handle
  
• Provide a shared family tablet or secondary device for entertainment
  
• Set up a separate user profile on your laptop if kids need access
  

Pro tip: If kids need screen time on the road, bring a tablet that's not linked to your work accounts. Investing in a $150 iPad beats the potential cost of a data breach.

Hotel WiFi: Common Mistakes Everyone Makes

Once you and your family check into the hotel, everyone eagerly connects to the WiFi—smartphones, tablets, laptops, gaming devices. Your teen is streaming Netflix, your partner is checking emails, and you're trying to finalize that proposal before tomorrow.

The catch? Hotel networks are public and shared by countless guests, some of whom may harbor ill intentions.

True story: A family unknowingly connected to a fake WiFi network masquerading as the hotel's. For two days, every online action—passwords, credit card details, emails—was intercepted by an attacker parked right in the lot.

How to protect yourself:

Always verify the network name by asking the front desk instead of guessing.

Use a VPN for work-related access to encrypt your connection and keep data private.

For sensitive tasks like banking or handling client info, use your phone's mobile hotspot instead of hotel WiFi.

Separate leisure from work: Kids streaming cartoons on hotel WiFi is fine; handling confidential work calls or files? Switch to your hotspot.

The Challenge of Sharing Your Work Laptop

Your work computer holds the keys to your entire business—emails, bank accounts, client data, and systems. Meanwhile, kids want to watch YouTube, play games, or video chat with friends.

Why it matters: Kids might unintentionally download harmful content, click deceptive pop-ups, share passwords with friends, or fail to log out—all innocent behaviors but serious security risks on a professional device.

How to handle this:

Politely refuse device sharing: Say "This is my work laptop, but you can use [alternative device]." Make this a firm rule.

If sharing is unavoidable:

• Create a limited-access user account
  
• Supervise their activity carefully
  
• Block downloads
  
• Avoid saving passwords on your device
  
• Clear browsing history after use
  

Best alternative: Carry a dedicated family device for travel, like an older tablet or laptop without access to your work accounts.

Streaming on Hotel TVs: The Crucial Logout Step

Your family wants to enjoy Netflix on the hotel's smart TV. Someone logs in on your account, but you check out without logging out.

What happens next: The following guest gains access to your account—and if passwords are reused elsewhere (hopefully not!), your other accounts could be compromised.

Easy solutions:

• Use your own device to cast content to the TV—it's vastly safer
  
• Set a phone reminder to log out before checkout if you must sign in
  
• Even better: Download movies and shows to your devices beforehand and avoid hotel TVs altogether
  

Avoid logging into these apps on hotel TVs:

• Banking apps
  
• Work accounts
  
• Email
  
• Social media
  
• Any service with saved payment info
  

Handling Lost Devices During Travel

Travel chaos can lead to lost devices in restaurants, hotel rooms, rental cars, or airport security. If your device goes missing…

Act within the first hour:

1. Use "Find My Device" to locate it immediately
   
2. If recovery seems unlikely, lock it remotely
   
3. Change passwords for key accounts from another device
   
4. Notify your IT specialist or MSP to revoke business system access
   
5. If sensitive data was on it, alert affected parties right away
   

Essential device safeguards before your trip:

• Enabled remote tracking
  
• Strong password protection
  
• Automatic data encryption
  
• Remote wipe capabilities
  

If a family member loses a device, apply the same steps: lock remotely, change passwords, and track if possible.

Beware the Rental Car Data Trap

Connecting your phone to a rental car's Bluetooth to play music or use navigation might seem convenient, but many cars store personal data like contacts, recent calls, and even text previews. When you return the vehicle, that information often remains accessible to the next driver.

Quick 30-second steps before returning the car:

• Remove your phone from the car's Bluetooth devices list
  
• Clear recent GPS destinations
  
• Or, better yet, use an aux cable or avoid connecting altogether
  

Setting Boundaries on "Working Vacations"

Trying to juggle work on a family vacation? If you've checked your email dozens of times, taken unexpected calls, and spent more time on your laptop than with loved ones, it's a recipe for stress and security lapses.

Distractions increase the chance of connecting to insecure networks or clicking risky links.

Practical advice: If unplugging fully isn't an option, set firm rules:

• Limit work email checks to twice daily at scheduled times
  
• Use your phone's hotspot instead of hotel WiFi for work-related tasks
  
• Work in private spaces like your hotel room, not public areas
  
• Be mentally present during family time, free from work distractions
  

The best security approach? Take genuine time off. Your business won't fall apart in a week, and you'll return more alert to threats after rest.

Adopting a Holiday Travel Security Mindset

Here's the honest truth: Merging work and family during holiday travel can be complicated. Sometimes kids genuinely need your laptop, and urgent emails demand attention.

The objective isn't flawless security but making conscious decisions to minimize risk:

• Prepare all devices thoroughly before departure
  
• Recognize which activities carry high risk (like hotel WiFi banking) versus safe habits (using your mobile hotspot to check email)
  
• Establish clear boundaries between work and family tech use
  
• Have a contingency plan for when things go wrong
  
• Learn to say, "Not on this device," and stand by it
  

Make This Holiday Season Unforgettable for All the Right Reasons

The essence of the holidays is spending quality time with loved ones—not managing data breaches or explaining compromised client information. A bit of foresight and simple rules can keep your business protected while ensuring everyone enjoys the vacation. That way, your family gets the joy of the holidays, and your business stays secure. Everyone benefits.

Need help developing travel security policies for yourself and your team? Click here or call us at 801-997-8000 to schedule your free 10-Minute Discovery Call. We'll design practical protocols to secure your business without complicating your travel.

Because the best holiday memory shouldn't be "Remember when Dad's laptop got hacked?"