Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management

Traveling Naked (digitally) to avoid Cyberespionage February 25, 2012

There is a very good article written by Nichole Perlroth of the New York Times that discusses the dangers of cyberespionage.  I have written this subject in this blog, as well.  It is always interesting when you talk with people about cyberespionage and get the “brush off” or some comment about “james bond” and fantasy.  Unfortunately, cyberespionage is very real, and very dangerous for companies.  Intellectual property and trade secrets are in high demand for certain governments and competitors.  As stated by top counterintelligence official, Joel F. Brenner: “If a company has significant intellectual property that the Chinese and Russians are interested in, and you go over there with mobile devices, your devices will get penetrated,” So what to do?  The article describes a person who talks of traveling “digitally naked”.   This is where he leaves his laptop, mobile phone and other technology at home and only takes ‘loaners’ that are cleaned before leaving the country and cleaned before returning.  He never uses an ‘open’ internet connection and does not “type” his password rather “cuts and pastes” from a thumb drive.  In meetings he turns off his mobile phone (the loaner) and removes the batter to ensure it is powered down.  While some may feel this is ‘overkill’ it is important to remember that in  China and Russia you are not permitted to travel with encrypted devices without special permission.  This means you have few ways to protect your information and data.