Protect your passwords and accounts while traveling

Independent planning guide · Source links at the end

Email, banking, airline, accommodation and messaging accounts become especially important away from home. You may be signing in from a new country, depending on unfamiliar networks and receiving genuine travel alerts alongside fraudulent ones. Your phone may also hold passwords, passkeys, verification codes, payment cards and access to your primary email.

No single product or setting can remove every risk. The practical goal is layered protection: unique credentials, a second sign-in factor, reliable recovery options, secured devices and a plan for responding quickly if something goes wrong.

Start with the accounts that can unlock everything else

Protect your primary email account first. Someone who controls it may be able to reset passwords for many other services. Next, secure your password manager, Apple or Google account, banking and payment apps, mobile carrier account, travel accounts and the messaging services you would use to contact family or work.

Review these accounts several days before departure. A last-minute security change from a new location can trigger extra verification, so allow time to test each recovery method while you still have access to your normal devices and phone number.

Turn on strong multifactor authentication

Multifactor authentication, also called MFA, 2FA or two-step verification, asks for another form of proof after a password. Start with email, financial accounts, your password manager and the account controlling your phone.

Use a phishing-resistant method such as a supported passkey or hardware security key when possible. Authenticator apps are another useful option. Codes delivered by text message are generally more vulnerable, but the FTC advises that text or email verification is still better than using only a password when it is the only method offered.

Never share a verification code with someone who contacts you, even if the request appears to come from a bank, airline or support representative. Do not approve an unexpected sign-in prompt. Open the service's official app or type its known address yourself to review the activity.

Prepare recovery methods before departure

MFA can create a lockout if your only second factor is the phone that goes missing. Review your recovery email and phone number, remove obsolete methods and generate recovery codes for important accounts that support them.

Store recovery codes somewhere secure and separate from the primary phone. A printed copy kept with protected travel documents may be useful, provided nobody else can access or photograph it. An encrypted location available from another trusted device is another option. Do not leave the only copy in an unsecured note, screenshot gallery or the same bag as the device it is meant to replace.

Recovery codes are sensitive credentials. Many are single-use, and generating a new set may invalidate the old one. Replace them if they are exposed, lost or used.

Recognize travel-themed phishing

Phishing messages create urgency so that you act before verifying the sender. While traveling, the story may involve a changed flight, failed accommodation payment, visa problem, refund, loyalty points, mobile service or a request to confirm your identity.

A familiar logo and accurate itinerary detail do not prove that a message is genuine. Do not sign in through an unexpected link or open an unsolicited attachment. Instead, open the company's official app, use a saved bookmark or contact it through a number you already know is genuine. The FTC recommends contacting the organization through a trusted website or phone number, not the contact information supplied in the suspicious message.

If you entered a password on a site you no longer trust, change it using a clean, trusted device. If that password was reused, replace it everywhere else. Review active sessions and account activity, notify the provider when appropriate and watch financial accounts for unauthorized transactions.

Avoid sensitive sign-ins on shared devices

A hotel business-center computer, lounge kiosk or borrowed tablet may retain information or contain monitoring software. Avoid using shared devices for email, banking, cloud storage or your password vault whenever possible.

If there is no reasonable alternative, do not save the password or allow the site to remember the device. Do not download recovery codes or personal files. Sign out when finished and remove the session later from your account's security page. A private browsing window may reduce information left in the browser, but it cannot make an untrusted computer safe from malicious software.

Also protect your own screen in public. Use a strong device passcode, enable automatic locking and avoid entering sensitive credentials where someone can watch over your shoulder. Keep operating systems, browsers and security-sensitive apps updated.

Back up your data and prepare for device loss

CISA recommends encrypting devices and maintaining a secure backup because theft, damage and hardware failure can otherwise cause permanent data loss. Before traveling, confirm that important photos, documents and contacts have completed a recent backup. Make sure you know how to reach the backup without relying solely on the device being backed up.

Enable the manufacturer's location, locking and remote-erase service in advance, and test where its controls are found. Record your device details and mobile carrier contact information somewhere accessible. Travelers using an employer-managed device should also know the organization's reporting procedure.

Authoritative sources

• CISA: Secure Our World
• CISA: Strong Passwords Tip Sheet
• NIST: Passwords, MFA and Passkeys
• NIST Digital Identity Guidelines: Authenticators
• FTC: How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
• FTC: Use Two-Factor Authentication
• UK NCSC: Advice for End Users and Overseas Device Use
• CISA: Protecting Data Stored on Devices
• Google Account Help: Backup Codes

This guide provides general digital-safety information, not a guarantee against account compromise or data loss. Security features and recovery procedures vary by provider and can change. Check the current instructions for every service and device you rely on.