Top Ten Tips To Traveling Safely With Your Laptop

You must be careful when traveling with your laptop. Read on to learn how you can keep your laptop safe while traveling.

If you are staying in a hotel, keep your laptop away from anything that could be harmful. For example, magnets on televisions and radios.

2) Take your laptop with you as a carry-on item. It is not a good idea to check your laptop. Luggage is often lost and is rarely handled gently. Leave your laptop at home if you cannot take it as a carry-on.

If you are flying transoceanic, it is best to sit near the emergency exits. In a Boeing 747 there will be an electrical outlet next to these doors, where you can plug your laptop in and do some work during your flight.

If you are taking your laptop abroad, you should bring the receipt from the store where you bought it. This may be useful if you’re stopped or questioned at the border or on your way out.

Remember that electrical outlets differ from one country to another. If necessary, you may need an adapter. If you are not sure what adapter you need, ask a travel agent or colleague who has visited the country you’ll be visiting before.

6) Charge the battery of your laptop before leaving on a journey. You may need to wait a while for the battery to charge fully, but it will be worth it.

7) Back up your data completely before you leave on a vacation. Many people have learned the hard way how valuable the data on a computer is. Take this precaution when you travel. Windows 200 and newer versions include built-in backup software, if you don’t have the network capacity to backup all your files. Use external drives, CD/DVD media or tape backups.

You can use off-line storage to store important documents. Backups will be useful when you get back from your trip but will not help you while you are still traveling. You can also make a backup to a portable hard drive that you can easily carry in your pocket. If your computer should break down while you are traveling, your work can be continued on another computer.

Many of these portable devices support security features like password protection or encrypted files. This allows you to keep your data safe even if the disk is stolen or lost. Iomega has a lot of portable solutions for those on the move. Iomega manufactures a variety of mobile solutions including a USB Zip Drive that can hold up to 200MB. Also, they manufacture a PCMCIA pocket drive that can hold up to 40MB. Castlewood’s Orb Drive and Imitation SuperDisk are both great choices for portable drives. You’ll obviously want to carry these drives with you instead of checking them in your luggage when traveling. For extra security, you can also password-protect and/or encrypt these disks.

The weakest link of the computer security chain is usually people. Think as if you are trying to protect your data. You will always keep security in mind. Be sure to lock down your laptop when not in use with a cable. Keep your laptop within your line of sight at all time. Even though no security measure will stop a determined thief, or spy, making it difficult for them to do so will make them look for an easier target.

It is possible to travel safely around the globe with your laptop. Your laptop can travel to many places, from the beautiful and sunny beaches, to the mountainous ranges. With a few precautions you are sure to have no issues.

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