More and more work involves travel, and while you travel you need to work! With Internet access and mobile phone data speeds improving all the time, it’s easier than ever to keep up with clients and the home office from the road, or air, while you travel. If your work isn’t tied to a traditional office, there are no rules saying you have to stay in one place!
Traveling, seeing the world, sitting with clients in another state or country, and still being able to work definitely has its benefits. With the right gear, having an office in a backpack isn’t as hard as it sounds.
It goes without saying you need a computer to do your work. A sturdy well built laptop with the software you need and feel comfortable using is the ideal choice. Also, consider a battery-powered portable mouse if you hate trackpads and a spare HDMI cable to hook up to larger screens or a second screen.
Running out of plugs is a common issue even in an office setting. A digital nomad doesn’t always have direct control of their surroundings. Take along a power strip with a built-in surge protector. The surge protector guards your computer in places where the electrical current is unsteady. A power strip guarantees you’ll always have enough outlets for all your devices and maybe even one to share with the locals.
A simple wall charger allows you to charge 3 USB powered devices with a single outlet. The longer cables also prevent accidents and make your items easier to use when they’re charging.
A portable charger can keep your smartphone working on longer outings. Portable chargers can even be solar powered if you’re really out of reach. Consider a phone case with a battery built in to lengthen the time between charges. Also, some larger portable chargers can power a laptop which can be useful in an emergency.
One of the challenges of being a digital nomad is keeping your equipment charged and ready to use. Simply being able to charge your equipment as you drive from place to place is both useful and practical.
I’ve found that my phone battery charges quickly in my car.
As you travel it's fun to see the sights but it can get loud when you’re focusing on work. Headphones let you listen to any needed audio without distractions and a built-in microphone is useful for both business and general communication needs. Combining these features all-in-one with noise cancelling headphones can be a smart move. Choosing to buy a premium headphone that features microphones that block out background noise is a convenience on audio-related work like taking calls and participating on meetings.
Laptops often have a sizeable amount of memory but they still don’t have the terabytes of storage space often found with a desktop. A good sized memory stick allows you to carry more data and access it from a different computer if needed. Consider a 2TB portable external hard drive if you need a lot of storage. Backup your devices to the portable external hard drive for additional safety.
Easy accessibility is a good thing when you’re on the move. Cloud storage is accessible from any device connected to the internet. It’s protected by redundant backups making it an ideal place to keep important files and backup your devices.
Portable internet is something you’ll definitely want. While it’s a time saver, the sheer variety of cellular technology worldwide can make this a challenge. There is not a single solution that works everywhere in the world so you’ll need to do some research to find the best option for your location.
Different countries use different types of plugs. If you go to a lot of different locations the wall plugs can vary greatly. Having the proper adapters on hand protects you from being unable to work because you can't plug in.
Don’t forget to buy a durable backpack. Look for one specifically designed to carry laptops and devices. The last thing you want is to buy a computer in a foreign country because of a cracked screen or damaged equipment. Computers in Japan are loaded with Japanese. If English is your first language the keyboard won’t even look similar.
Being a digital nomad can be exciting and adventurous. If you plan ahead you can avoid the small work issues that being “out of the office” bring. Just be careful of your devices at the beach or by the pool!
When traveling, you take the usual steps to keep you and your possessions safe, possibly to the point of enlisting help from Global Guardians. Your online security should be considered just as important. Becoming compromised while abroad can result in disastrous data breaches which can have damaging effects on your business.
Here are some online security travel tips to protect your information and privacy:
Public Wi-Fi is commonplace in hotel lobbies and coffee shops. It's also very insecure as hackers can gain access to an unsecured device or even distribute malware through the network. Another major threat is for hackers to get in-between you and the Wi-Fi network. When this happens, your data ends up going directly to the hacker.
Avoid using public Wi-Fi if possible, and if you must use it, be sure to avoid accessing your bank accounts and sensitive information sites. If you can't avoid it, use a VPN or your browser's incognito feature. After using public Wi-Fi, always delete cookies, history and other personal information as well.
Security apps and anti-virus software scan your device for viruses, malware, and other threats. Some anti-virus tools will alert you to unsafe Wi-Fi connections and block unauthorized attempts to connect to your device. It’s a good practice to have something monitoring your system. This mobile security software will ensure your devices are protected at all times from any virus.
Changing the passwords and PIN on your device before you travel and when you return goes a long way to protect your device and data. Update the passwords on every device you travel with like this. This extends beyond the PIN you use to access your phone or tablet!
If your device is unlocked by hackers, secure passwords can prevent vital information (such as your email account's username and password) from being accessed. When creating a new password, avoid common phrases that could be easily guessed or numbers as those can be broken with brute force techniques. Instead, use a mix of numbers, symbols, and letters to create a complex password.
Encryption is used to keep company data safe in the occurrence of laptop or smartphone theft. It works by scrambling the data on your device into ciphertext until it's unreadable to non-authorized readers. Only someone with the encryption key can reverse encryption and access the data.
Self-encrypting apps offer another layer of protection. For example, emails, attachments, and other sensitive data could only be accessed when designated users enter the app's PIN number after unlocking their phone. If the device is lost, the app could be wiped remotely without affecting the file system.
As you travel, your cyber security will be under threat. However, by implementing these tips, you can be proactive in protecting your information. The most common mistake is using free, public wi-fi without regard to the sites you access. Be aware of this and do not access sites with private information when on an open wi-fi network.
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