When it comes to traveling internationally with technology, less is best. University policy recommends faculty and staff traveling outside the country leave home any devices that are not needed.
Traveling overseas dramatically increases the risk to a potential compromise of electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops and tablets.
"If faculty and staff in the College of Education do need to take a computer out of the country, we recommend using a clean loaner laptop from their unit while traveling, and installing only the required data and software needed for the trip," said David Cochrane, IT manager in the College of Education’s Carrara Education Technology Center (CETC). "Once you return, the laptop should be checked by staff in the CETC before it's connected to the University's network, in case there has been a breach to the device."
Those planning to travel out of the country should review University-wide policy regarding traveling with technology as part of the new international travel policy the University has developed at https://guru.psu.edu/policies/InternationalTravelRequirements.html.
Following are excerpts from that policy's Traveling with Technology documentation:
You need to know
When traveling internationally, it is important to remember the following items:
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the right to examine the electronic files on your mobile computing/electronic devices; this includes both business and personal files and information.
- Mobile computing/electronic device searches may occur upon leaving or entering the United States; it is in the best interest of the holder of the mobile computing/electronic devices to comply with requests for searches. Failure to comply could lead to a detained or seized mobile computing/electronic device.
- Searches are not limited to computers — they may include any form of electronic technology, including handheld PDAs, phones, etc.
- Customs agencies in foreign countries may follow these or other similar practices.
What you may take
If you will be traveling outside of the United States to a non-controlled country, you may take:
- Off-the-shelf mobile computing/electronic devices.
- Standard operating systems and encryption programs that do not allow enhanced communications security capabilities.
- Commercially available software applications or general purpose commercially available scientific/engineering programs.
- Stored research data that is already published in journals or online, or data that has been generated for projects intended to be published and is not restricted by a confidentiality clause or restricted from general dissemination.
Requirements
The above list of allowable items pertains to those who meet the following requirements:
- You are a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S. resident.
- You will be out of the country for fewer than 12 months.
- The mobile computing/electronic device will be in your possession and control for the entire length of the trip. (You may not take a laptop with you, hand it off to another user, and then pick it up before returning to the United States.)
- You will return with the mobile computing/electronic devices.
- You do not intend to share or release any controlled technology (listed on the U.S. Commerce Department “Commerce Control List” or U.S. State Department “Munitions List”).
- The mobile computing/electronic device will not be used (directly or indirectly) for nuclear activity.
- The mobile computing/electronic device does not contain any enhanced encryption applications or software (e.g. encryption applications or software that are not “off-the-shelf” packages).
- The mobile computing/electronic device will not be used for technical assistance (e.g. troubleshooting, training, foreign lab work).
- You will take responsibility for any information release that occurs that is in violation of any University, local, state, federal and international rules/regulations/policies.
Travel to some destinations may require additional approvals, precautions or licensing arrangements (Afghanistan, Algeria, Belarus, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Uzbekistan, the West Bank and Gaza, Yemen, and Zimbabwe). Consult Wayne Mowery, University export compliance officer, at wlmowery@psu.edu for more information.
Restricted items
The following items should not be taken on international travel without first consulting with the General Counsel:
- Data or information that is covered by a confidentiality agreement.
- Data or analyses related to projects for which there are contractual constraints on the dissemination of the results.