Three questions to start:

• Are you traveling this holiday season with a work laptop that holds your company’s most important information?
• Do your kids or spouse ever borrow your devices while you are on the road?
• Have you ever connected to a hotel's WiFi simply because it was convenient, even though you were not sure it was safe?

If so, you are exactly the audience this guide was created for.

A familiar holiday story for SMB owners

You are three hours into a five-hour drive, and your daughter asks to play Roblox on your laptop. It is your work laptop, the same device with access to client files, financials, banking portals, and internal systems. You are tired, traffic is slow, and saying yes feels easier than explaining why she needs to wait.

This is where most holiday data breaches begin.

During travel, SMB owners are outside their normal routines. You are distracted, mixing work and family time, connecting to unfamiliar networks, and juggling responsibilities in ways that increase security exposure.

This guide shows you how to enjoy your holiday without risking your business.

The lesson is clear. With a little preparation and the right travel habits, you can protect your clients, keep your business secure, and still enjoy time with the people who matter most.

What To Do Before You Travel?

SMBs that travel securely all have one thing in common. They prepare their devices in advance.

The 15-minute pre-travel checklist

• Install all security updates
• Back up important files to the cloud
• Enable auto lock for two minutes or less
• Turn on device tracking like Find My Device
• Charge your power bank
• Bring your own charging cables
• Bring a dedicated family device so kids never use a work laptop

Real-world example

A Bay Area engineering firm avoided a breach when an employee lost a laptop during travel. Because remote wipe and encryption were set up correctly, their data stayed protected.

Why This Matters

Travel increases the chance of loss, theft, or accidental exposure. If your protections are not in place before leaving, you may not catch issues until it is too late.

To strengthen travel readiness, see how our Managed IT Services support SMBs with proactive device updates and secure configurations.
https://www.truadvantage.com/services-managed-it

Learn how our Cybersecurity Services protect work data even outside the office.
https://www.truadvantage.com/services-cyber-security

How To Use Hotel WiFi Safely

Hotel WiFi feels quick and convenient, but it is one of the highest-risk environments for SMB owners.

A real scenario

A family connected to what looked like the hotel network. It was actually a fake access point created by someone in the parking lot. Their passwords, email traffic and browsing activity were captured for two days.

How to stay secure

• Verify the exact network name with the front desk
• Use your VPN for anything work-related
• Use your phone hotspot for banking, client data, or internal systems
• Allow family streaming on hotel WiFi, but keep business tasks on the hotspot

Why This Matters

Hotel networks are shared by hundreds of guests. Some have unsecured devices, outdated software or malicious intent. The risk is not worth it.

Our Cloud Services also support safe access to files without relying on risky public networks.
https://www.truadvantage.com/services-cloud

Managing Family Device Use Without Compromising Security

Kids do not mean harm. They download games quickly, click on pop-ups, and leave accounts logged in. All of this creates real risk on a work device.

Better approach

• Bring a family tablet or entertainment laptop
• Do not allow kids to use your work device
• If you must share. Create a separate restricted account
• Supervise usage
• Block downloads
• Clear browsing activity after

Need Managed IT Services?

We are an Award-winning IT Provider and Comprehensive IT Solutions in San Francisco, San Jose, and throughout the Bay Area.

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Why This Matters

Many SMB breaches start with one innocent click. When a child uses a work device, your security controls become less predictable.

If you need stronger separation between work and personal data, our Compliance Services help SMBs meet requirements for HIPAA, PCI and SOC readiness. https://www.truadvantage.com/services-compliance

What To Do If A Device Goes Missing

Travel is unpredictable. Devices get forgotten in restaurants, airport bins, hotel rooms and rental cars.

Act within the first hour

• Use Find My Device
• Lock it remotely
• Change passwords from another device
• Contact your IT team or MSP to revoke company access
• If sensitive data was stored locally, follow your incident response steps immediately

Why This Matters

Speed is everything. SMBs that respond within minutes usually avoid damage. Those that wait face downtime, financial risk, and compliance challenges.

Healthy Travel Habits That Reduce SMB Security Risk

Vacation mode makes owners less vigilant. That is when phishing clicks, network mistakes, and device mishandling happen.

Create simple boundaries

• Check email twice daily at scheduled times
• Work in your room, not public areas
• Use your hotspot for work tasks
• Be fully present with family when you are not working

Why This Matters

Distraction is one of the top contributors to SMB security incidents. Clear boundaries reduce rushed decisions and increase awareness.

Takeaway

Holiday travel does not have to compromise your business. With intentional preparation, smart connectivity choices and a clear separation between work and family devices, you can enjoy your time away while keeping your company secure.

Security during travel is not about perfection. It is about being prepared, staying aware and knowing which actions carry risk.

If you want support building secure travel guidelines for your team, our Managed IT, Cybersecurity, Cloud and Compliance services help SMBs stay safe no matter where they work.

Want help strengthening your travel security policies?

Book Your Free Consultation Now

Iman Oskoorouchi
President, Co-Founder

Iman Oskoorouchi, President and Co-founder of TruAdvantage, studied Electrical Engineering at UC Davis and holds multiple IT certifications. With over two decades of experience helping Bay Area and California businesses and healthcare practices navigate digital transformation, Iman is known for his personal touch and deep industry expertise. He believes technology should serve people first, then systems, combining technical insight with a human-centered approach to build secure and efficient IT environments. A lifelong learner inspired by books like The Untethered Soul and The 5AM Club, he finds balance in backcountry skiing, philosophy, and Thai green curry.

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Categories: Blog