Holiday Travel Is When Company Data Rides in a Backpack
The December pattern is not exotic malware. It is a backpack left under a seat, and a company that cannot reach the laptop inside it.
Kensington's March 2025 survey already said device theft was common among the IT teams it asked: 76% in the prior two years. December does not create a new category of attacker. It creates more hours when a laptop is in a car, a hotel, or an overhead bin.
The preparation that matters is unglamorous. Full-disk encryption on. DriveStrike or an equivalent agent actually checking in. A wallet card with the number to call if the bag disappears. A rule that work files are not copied onto a personal machine "so I can finish this on the couch."
Before someone flies
- Confirm the device record matches the hardware in the bag. Wrong serial means you wipe an innocent machine or none at all.
- Remove local data the trip does not need. A full customer export is not a travel document.
- Tell travelers you will wipe a device that is gone, even if they hope it turns up at lost and found. Surprise is how people hide losses.
If the bag is already gone, use the first-hour list. If you are still setting the standard, use the survey as the reason this is not theoretical. DriveStrike's job on the road is the same as in the office: wipe, lock, locate. Start a trial before the departure date, not after the claim form. Spearstone can help you decide which roles travel with managed hardware only.
Keep reading
- The August 2025 Advisory Is About Routers. Traveling Staff Still Carry Phones.
- The New Year Device Inventory Is a List You Can Wipe
Questions worth answering directly
What should a traveler do the moment a laptop is missing?
Call the number in the device policy, then let the admin lock or wipe. Also reset accounts the laptop could open. Hoping it is at the hotel desk is not a control.
Is encryption enough without remote wipe?
Encryption protects a powered-off disk if the key is strong and not written on a sticker. It does not help if the session is unlocked, and it does not let you prove the data is gone. Wipe is the action you take when you need the copy destroyed.