All hotel rooms and telephones are not bugged; however, your business purpose will be more secure if you act as if they are.
- Keep your hotel room key with you at all times, if possible.
- At night, secure your passport and other valuables.
- Do not divulge the name of your hotel or room number to strangers.
Street Smarts
- Invest in a good map of the city. Note significant points on the map such as your hotel, embassies, and police stations. Make a mental note of alternative routes to your hotel or local office should your map become lost or stolen.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Look up and down the street before exiting a building.
- Learn how to place a local telephone call and how to use coin telephones. Make sure you always have extra tokens or coins for telephone use.
- Areas around public telephones are often used by criminals to stage pickpocket activity or theft. Keep briefcases and purses in view or "in touch" while using phones. Caution is urged in safeguarding telephone credit card numbers. Criminals wait for callers to announce credit card numbers on public phones and then sell the numbers for unauthorized use.
- Avoid jogging or walking in cities you are not familiar with. If you must jog, be aware of the traffic patterns when crossing public streets. (Joggers have been seriously injured by failing to understand local traffic conditions.)
- Speak with the bellman, concierge, and front desk regarding safe areas around the city to jog, dine, or sight see. Ask about local customs and which taxi companies to use or avoid.
- Avoid renting vehicles or driving unless you are familiar with the local traffic laws and customs.
- Valuables should normally be left at home. The rule of thumb is if you neither want nor can afford to lose them, Do not take them! However, if you must carry valuables, the best way to protect them is to secure them in your local offices. Second best is the hotel safe.
- Keep your passport with you at all times. Only relinquish it to the hotel if required by law when registering, or if you are required to identify yourself to local authorities for any reason.
- Vary the time and route by which you leave and return to the hotel. Be alert for persons watching your movements.
- Be cautious when entering public restrooms.
- Purse snatchers and briefcase thieves are known to work hotel bars and restaurants waiting for unknowing guests to drape these items on chairs or under tables only to discover them missing as they are departing. Keep items in view or "in touch."
- Be alert to scams involving an unknown person spilling a drink or food on your clothing. An accomplice may be preparing to steal your wallet, purse, or briefcase.
- Pools or beaches are attractive areas for thieves. Leave valuables in the hotel, but carry a token sum to placate violent thieves. Sign for food and beverages on your room bill rather than carry cash.
- Avoid persons you do not know. Prostitutes, both men and women, take advantage of travelers through various ploys: "knock out" drugs, confederates, and theft from the victim's room.
Workplace Security
- Safeguard all sensitive or proprietary papers and documents; do not leave them lying around in the office or on top of a desk.
- Guard your conversations so that unauthorized personnel are not able to eavesdrop on discussions pertaining to proprietary information, personnel issues, or management planning or problems. In many countries, local employees are debriefed by the intelligence or security services in an effort to learn as much as possible about activities of American companies and their personnel.
- Be careful of all communications. Be aware that the monitoring of telephone, telegraph, and international mail is common in many countries.
