It’s the holidays. You’re three hours into a five-hour drive. You’re tired, the snacks are already gone and your kid leans forward from the back seat with the question every parent knows is coming:
“Can I use your laptop?”
Your work laptop.
The one with client info, financial data and access to your entire business.
And honestly? You’re tempted, because “quiet kids” and “holiday travel” are two things that don’t often go together.
But here’s the truth:
Holiday travel puts you in situations that create real security risk, risks you don’t deal with in your normal routine. You’re distracted, juggling family and work, connecting to sketchy WiFi and handing devices back and forth.
Here’s how to keep your business safe without turning your trip into a cybersecurity seminar.
Before You Leave: The 15-Minute Travel Tech Check
These quick steps will save you stress later:
Do these on your devices:
- Install updates
- Back up important files
- Turn on automatic screen lock (2 minutes max)
- Enable “Find My Device”
- Charge your power bank
- Pack your own chargers (never trust hotel charging ports)
Do this with your family:
- Explain which devices are “kid-safe” and which are off-limits
- Bring a tablet for entertainment
- If absolutely necessary, create a separate kid account on your laptop
Pro tip: A basic $150 tablet is far cheaper than dealing with a data breach.
Hotel WiFi: Where Good Intentions Go to Die
Everyone checks into the hotel and immediately connects their devices.
Phones. Tablets. Laptops. Gaming consoles. Smart TVs.
Here’s the part most people don’t know:
Hotel WiFi is shared with hundreds of people and not all of them are just watching Netflix.
Fake networks, snooping tools and insecure connections are extremely common.
A real example: A family connected to “Hotel_Guest_WiFi.” Except it wasn’t the hotel, it was someone in the parking lot. Everything they typed for 48 hours got captured.
How to protect yourself:
✔ Ask the front desk for the exact WiFi name
✔ Use a VPN for anything work-related
✔ Use your hotspot for banking or client info
✔ Let the kids use the hotel WiFi, but don’t use it for sensitive stuff yourself
The “Can I Use Your Laptop?” Dilemma
Kids don’t mean to cause chaos… but they click everything.
Pop-ups, downloads, games, random links; you name it.
That’s fine on a family device.
It’s not fine on a work laptop that has access to your business.
Safer solutions:
- Bring a family tablet or laptop
- If you must share your device:
- Create a separate user account
- Supervise
- Don’t allow downloads
- Don’t save passwords
- Clear the browser afterward
But truly?
The best move is: “This laptop is for work. Let’s use this other device.”
Streaming on Hotel TVs: The Log-Out Trap
You log into Netflix on the hotel TV so the family can watch a movie.
Morning comes. You’re packing. You forget to log out.
The next guest now has access to your account.
And if you reused that password elsewhere (we know you’re not supposed to)… big problem.
Better options:
- Cast from your own device
- Or set a reminder to log out
- Or download shows before the trip
Never log into banking, e-mail, work accounts or anything with payment info on a hotel TV.
If a Device Goes Missing
Travel is chaotic. Devices get left everywhere:
Hotels, restaurants, airport bins, rental cars.
In the first hour:
- Try “Find My Device”
- Lock it remotely
- Change important passwords
- Call your IT team/MSP
- If client data may be compromised, alert the appropriate people
Before your trip, make sure your device has:
- Tracking turned on
- A strong password
- Encryption
- Remote wipe capability
The Rental Car Data Problem No One Talks About
When you connect your phone to a rental car via Bluetooth, the car often stores:
- Your contacts
- Recent calls
- Text previews
- GPS locations
When you return the car… that information usually stays there.
Fix it before dropping the car off:
- Delete your phone from the car’s devices
- Clear the GPS history
- Or avoid connecting altogether and use an aux cable
The “Working Vacation” Trap
We’ve all done it.
You promise yourself you’re taking time off… and then:
- You check e-mail “just for a second”
- You take a “quick call”
- You pop open your laptop “just to finish one thing”
Not only does this annoy your family, it makes you more likely to slip up and cause a security incident.
If you must work:
- Pick two times per day to check in
- Use your hotspot, not hotel WiFi
- Work in private, not in public spaces
- When you’re with family, be fully with family
The best security move?
Actually take a break. Your business won’t implode.
The Real Goal: Not Perfection, Awareness
Holiday travel is messy. You’re juggling family, luggage, work, exhaustion, and last-minute gift shopping.
The goal isn’t to be perfect.
It’s to be intentional:
- Prep your devices
- Know what’s risky and what’s not
- Keep work data separate from family use
- Have a plan if something goes wrong
Little habits go a long way.
Make This Holiday Memorable. For the Right Reasons
No one wants to spend their holiday fixing a data breach because of a hotel TV or a bored kid.
A small amount of planning keeps your business protected and lets you enjoy the time with the people you love.
If you want help putting simple, practical travel-security guidelines in place for your team, we’re here to help.
Schedule your free holiday travel security consultation.
Because the best holiday stories are about funny travel moments, not “Remember when Dad’s laptop got hacked?”