Electronic Devices and Technology Abroad

Traveling can present unique challenges when it comes to cybersecurity. From connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi networks to encountering unfamiliar digital environments, your devices and personal data may be more vulnerable while abroad. Use this checklist to stay informed about steps you can take to help protect your devices, data, and personal information while traveling:

✅ Limit the number of devices you carry with you. Only bring devices that are essential for your travel needs. Consider using a clean loaner laptop from your unit, if available.

✅ Secure your devices and accounts with strong passwords and two-factor authentication. Encrypt devices with sensitive or proprietary university data (unless traveling to a country where this is prohibited). Enable remote wiping capabilities in case your device is lost or stolen.

✅ Update all software, including anti-virus, before traveling. It's best to avoid software updates while you are abroad.

✅ Keep devices securely within your sight and control. Power down and lock devices when not in use. Use hotel safes if leaving them in your room. Store electronics in your carry-on bag, if possible.

✅ Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks when possible. Public networks are often unencrypted, making it easier for attackers to intercept your data, steal your personal information, or install malware on your device. If you do connect to public Wi-Fi networks, be sure to use the "Forget Network" feature on your device afterwards.

✅ Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and location tracking when not in use. Disabling these features can help conserve battery life and protect your privacy and data.

✅ Follow local laws and regulations. Review local import laws and baggage rules to prevent devices from being seized on arrival. If foreign authorities demand to inspect your devices, inform the Penn State IT Service Desk as soon as possible for guidance, comply with any official requests, and exercise caution when using the devices afterwards. Power down devices before passing through customs.

✅ Be mindful when sharing personal information online. Oversharing details about your location or travel plans on social media can make you an easier target for theft, scams, or other risks.

✅ Avoid engaging in online discussions about sensitive topics, such as local political issues. In some countries, free speech restrictions can make criticizing the government or its leaders illegal, and authorities may monitor online posts or conduct random inspections of your devices. Carrying politically sensitive material or engaging in illegal political activism could lead to detention, arrest, or deportation.

✅ Be cautious when carrying or transmitting documents or information that foreign authorities may consider state secrets, particularly when working with sensitive research material. Some countries criminalize the export of information tied to national security or other classified content. Learn more about China's revised state secrets law.

Lost, Stolen, Searched, or Compromised Devices

⚠️ If your university laptop or other university-issued technology is lost, stolen, searched, or compromised:

Report any instances of theft to local authorities. Know the emergency '911' number for your country.
Immediately change passwords for your Penn State account and any other sensitive accounts on your device.
Contact your college's or campus's IT Service Desk as soon as possible to report the loss.

When traveling internationally, staying connected is important to help you keep in touch, coordinate travel plans, navigate new environments, and stay informed. Ensuring that you have a reliable means of communication is also essential in case of an emergency. Be sure to plan ahead in preparation for using your mobile phone abroad.

Before you leave, share your mobile phone number and emergency contact information with family, friends, or colleagues, and set expectations for how often you'll be in touch.
Always keep your phone charged in case of emergency.
Know the international dialing code for the country you are visiting. To call an international number, dial "+" (or your country's unique international access code), then the country code of the phone number you are trying to reach, followed by the rest of the phone number. For more information, follow this Guide on International Calling Codes from International Citizens Group.
Always carry a cell phone that works internationally. Plan ahead to stay connected by exploring international cell service options:
Check with your U.S. cell carrier for details about their international call, text, and data plans, including availability and pricing.
Consider purchasing a SIM card with a local carrier once you arrive, which you can insert into your U.S. cell phone to access local networks for calls, texts, and data. Before deciding on a local SIM card, contact your U.S. provider to ensure your phone is unlocked prior to travel. If your phone is locked with your U.S. carrier, you won't be able to use a foreign SIM card.
Another option is to purchase a pay-as-you-go phone when you arrive. These "burner" phones typically have a low monthly base fee and allow you to purchase minutes, messages, and data as needed.
Learn more about international cell phone plans and roaming charges by reading The New York Times' article on How to Beat the High Costs of Dialing Abroad.

Note: Leaders of university-affiliated international student group travel are required to carry a non-Wi-Fi dependent cell phone that works internationally. The phone must be kept on and charged at all times in case of emergencies. Leaders must provide their phone number to Education Abroad (for EA programs) or Global Safety in advance, or immediately upon arrival if the phone is purchased locally.

For more detailed information on export controls, please visit the University Export Compliance Office website. For questions or concerns, contact the Export Compliance Office at export@psu.edu or +1-814-865-1775.

The U.S. government controls the export of certain items, technology, software, hardware, and services for reasons of national security, foreign policy, and competitive trade. Before traveling abroad, travelers should be aware of U.S. export control licensing requirements regulating these transfers, which apply to all activities with foreign persons and foreign countries (not just research projects or activities involving the physical transfer of technology/information to a foreign destination). This includes materials, technologies, presentations, conversations, and trainings. Penn State is required to comply with applicable U.S. laws and regulations on the export of goods and services. Penn State researchers are expected to be aware of export control issues related to their work and ensure compliance.

Export controls may restrict:

The ability to collaborate with researchers in foreign countries.
The ability to send equipment, spare or replacement parts, technology, or software to foreign countries.
The ability of university personnel to provide services (including training in the use of equipment) to foreign nationals.
The ability of foreign nationals (including students, researchers, or collaborators) to participate in research.

Researchers should also be aware of the following technology-related export control issues:

Hardware, software, or proprietary data taken abroad could constitute an export.
Technology taken abroad should be checked against the United States Munitions List (USML) and the Commerce Control List (CCL).

Most laptops and GPS devices (excluding software or technology that contains source code for 64-bit encryption software or mass market encryption products), along with cell phones, are considered tools of the trade and are frequently carried abroad. However, the investigator carrying these devices abroad must keep it on his or her person at all times and make sure the devices are brought back with them. If planning to leave GPS devices, laptops, or mass market encryption products in a foreign country, please inform the University Export Compliance Office before traveling in case a license is needed. If training will be provided to foreign persons (non-students) in the use of International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)-controlled technology, please consult with the Export Compliance Office as such training could be considered a defense service.

All other research equipment used for field work, including items hand-carried, must be identified within the provided export review form when completing a GSN record. The Export Compliance Office will provide with a letter of review and instructions to show to customs that the equipment had an export compliance review and a license is not required. To trigger this review, please fill out an International Shipment - Export/Import Review Request Form.

If research is related to a USML, CCL, or ITAR listed technology, then travelers cannot talk to foreign colleagues about their work unless the conversation is licensed or otherwise exempt. In such cases, presentations and conversations should be limited to information that is already published, information already in the public domain, and/or information, presentation content, and services which are consistent with the content/services typically provided in instructional activities held in catalog courses at U.S. institutions of higher education. For more information on the USML, CCL, tools of the trade, and ITAR-controlled technology, please consult Penn State's Export Compliance Program (ECP). 

The following items should not be taken on international travel without first consulting with the Office of General Counsel:

Data or information covered by a confidentiality agreement.
Data or analyses related to projects for which there are contractual constraints on the dissemination of the results.

A review from the University Export Compliance Office, as required by the University Export Compliance Policy (AD89), is included when submitting a record for university-affiliated international travel in the Global Safety Network (GSN). Travelers will receive an Export Review Form to complete, which will then be reviewed by the Export Compliance Office to evaluate proposed travel plans and identify any significant export compliance risks that may result from proposed activities while abroad.

University Resources on Export Control Requirements

Penn State Policy AD89: University Export Compliance Policy - Policy on parameters for compliance with the various federal laws, regulations and guidelines commonly referred to as "Export Controls" in all operations of the university, including research, academic, and general business activities.
Penn State Policy AD95: Information Assurance and IT Security - Policy establishing an institution-wide security program designed to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of university information assets from unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or damage while supporting the open, information-sharing needs of our academic culture.
Penn State Policy ADG09: Export Compliance Definitions, Procedures and Implementation Guidelines - Definition of terms, procedures, and implementation guidelines to be used in association with the development and administration of the university's Export Compliance Management Programs.
Penn State Policy FN21: Non-Office Telecommunication Services - Policy defining the responsibility for the coordination and usage of cellular services.
Penn State Policy RA40: Compliance with Federal Export Regulations - Policy on parameters for compliance with the various federal laws, regulations, and guidelines commonly referred to as “Export Controls,” as they relate to the performance of the sponsored research efforts of the university.
Penn State Policy RAG40: Guidelines for Ensuring Compliance with Export Control Policy RA40 - Guidelines on procedures for university personnel to follow in ensuring their compliance with applicable U.S. export laws, regulations, and guidelines when performing sponsored research at the university.
Penn State Office for Research Protections: Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs - Foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs are initiatives designed to attract skilled individuals from abroad to foster economic growth in the host country by acquiring proprietary technology or software, unpublished data, and intellectual property. Some programs require participation in activities that are conflicts of interest, unethical, or illegal. These types of talent recruitment programs are of the most concern and are considered to be “malign foreign talent recruitment programs” (MFTRPs). Penn State, in accordance with Section 10638(4)(a)(i-ix) of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, expressly prohibits university employees, students, and faculty members who receive federal research funding from participation in/with MFTRPs or MFTRP-like recruitment programs.
Penn State Human Research Protection Program (HRPP), Penn State Clinical Trials Office (CTO), and Penn State Research Quality Assurance Office (RQA) - The HRPP, CTO, and RQA offices at Penn State can help support clinical research abroad in conforming to international guidelines for technical compliance, U.S. export control regulations regarding controlled technologies, and good clinical practice guidelines.
Penn State Global Health Center - Faculty, staff, and students planning to provide medical care abroad should contact the Global Health Center for more information on resources, policies, and procedures. 

Federal Resources on Export Control Requirements

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Information for Importers & Exporters - Bringing wildlife items (including, but not limited to: animal hides, birds, cut flowers, endangered species, feathers, field samples, nests, non-synthetically derived DNA, seeds, tusks, and venomous or injurious animals) into the U.S. or to other countries may be limited by law or require special permits. Researchers have responsibility to obtain all required permits for exporting and importing wildlife items, both in the U.S. and in the host country. Failure to present proper permits at customs may result in materials being impounded.
U.S. Department of Commerce: Office of Antiboycott Compliance (OAC) - U.S. law prohibits certain actions in furtherance or support of a boycott maintained by a foreign country against a country friendly to the U.S. (unsanctioned foreign boycott).
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: "Know Before You Go" - Information on customs requirements, declaration forms, and what to expect when returning to the U.S with items obtained abroad.
U.S. Department of Justice: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit - The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) prohibits paying, offering, or promising payments of money or anything of value to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business. University leaders and administrators in many countries are frequently considered “foreign officials” in the context of the FCPA due to close ties between foreign governments and academic institutions. Gifts of nominal value and reasonable hospitality expenses are generally acceptable if they relate to the promotion of Penn State and Penn State’s services. The safest gifts are those that are tied directly to Penn State, such as commemorative or informational items. Many other countries have provisions similar to the FCPA, so accepting lavish hospitality abroad may also raise issues.  Even in countries and cultures where such hospitality is acceptable, a good rule of thumb is to decline entertainment, gifts and hospitality which could not (for legal, ethical, or other reasons) be reciprocated. This information is to provide a general background on the FCPA and is not intended as specific legal advice. For questions about the propriety of any expenditure, gift-giving, or entertainment of colleagues abroad, please contact and seek advice from the Office of General Counsel.
U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs: Current Agreements and Import Restrictions - The 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (Convention) and corresponding U.S. laws restrict importing certain categories of “archeological or ethnological material" to the U.S. Foreign countries can determine what is restricted under the Convention and also may have their own additional laws limiting cultural exports. Researchers are responsible for obtaining all required export certificates.
U.S. Department of the Treasury: Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) - The U.S. government maintains economic embargoes and imposes economic sanctions against some foreign governments, persons, and institutions, and requires special reporting of any activities with those sanctioned.

For questions or advice regarding any of the above information on export controls, please contact the University Export Compliance Office at export@psu.edu or +1-814-865-1775.