Understanding Travel Risks

Travel for business, teaching, conference attendance or research purposes is important and benefits Georgetown, but travel, particularly to certain international locations, involves inherent risks to personal health and safety, and also to the security of our research. Guarding non-public information related to Georgetown or other research when traveling is vital, and federally sponsored researchers traveling abroad must take appropriate precautions to safeguard themselves and any devices, data, intellectual property or other non-public information in their possession. 

The Office of Research Oversight, in conjunction with the Office of Public Safety, the Office of Global Education and the Office of Risk Management, provides information on federal travel regulations, safety briefings, health insurance, research data security and other guidance. The University Information Security Office (UISO) provides guidance and resources for protecting your data and devices when traveling. It is important to remember that privacy laws vary between countries, and some countries claim a right to search and seize technology devices at the point of entry and exit with no requirement for cause, no restrictions on data handling, no promise of secure storage and no timeline for data destruction. They may also require you to decrypt data or provide keys/passwords. Being prepared in case this happens is important.