When travelling abroad, it’s important for UBC researchers and staff to be mindful of research security considerations, as you may be targeted for your access to proprietary research data and sensitive personal information.1 This page helps you to prepare appropriate mitigation measures in order to safeguard your research before and during travel.
International travel can be an important part of establishing and maintaining collaborations, accelerating knowledge discovery in your areas of research, and networking with colleagues. However, not all potential collaborators share the same goals and objectives regarding the conduct and/or use of your research outputs. Travel provides opportunities for high-risk, unintentional knowledge transfer that researchers should be aware of. For example, some may illicitly seek access to your unpublished research and other sensitive or valuable data. Others may be interested you or your network of contacts with an end-goal of recruitment into foreign talent programs,2 which may place you in a position of having a conflict of interest.
Consider the risk factors associated with your travel:
- The safety profile of your travel destination — is the country experiencing unrest, government instability, natural disaster, or anything that may impact your physical safety?
- Will be separated from your digital devices during any time during your transit to another country or while attending to your business at your destination?
- Are you bringing devices that contain more information than you will require while on your trip?
- Does your research include sensitive information, such as personally identifiable information of vulnerable populations, proprietary information including partnership details, research related to defence or military uses?
- Does your research intersect with a Sensitive Technology Research Area, which the Government of Canada has described as “important to Canadian research and development, but may also be of interest to foreign state, state-sponsored, and non-state actors, seeking to misappropriate Canada’s technological advantages to our detriment” (ISED, 2025)?
- Might your work provide access to sensitive institutional information, such as internal policies, confidential agreements, organizational charts and other similar confidential or proprietary information?
- Might the purpose of your travel or who you are travelling, influence the amount of interest that others may have in you?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, follow the best practices highlighted below to safeguard institutional and research information for their business travel. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact the UBC Research Security team for advice regarding research security considerations related to your travel plans.
Assessing the travel opportunity:
✓ Review the Government of Canada travel advisory page for your destination, which will provide you with information on visa requirements, border control expectations, physical safety precaution and contact information for consular assistance.
✓ Conduct due diligence on the individuals and organizations that invited you to their event – our page on considerations for collaborations and partnerships can provide some questions to think about when reviewing your travel opportunities.
✓ Check the Named Research Organization list to identify if your host may have direct or indirect connections with military, national defence, and state security entities.
Travelling with electronics and working remotely:
✓ Consult UBC resource “Travel with Electronics: Key Considerations” for practical steps on protecting your devices before, during and after your travels.
✓ Consider the devices you need to bring with you:
- The mobile devices you take on your travels may also contain sensitive personal or institutional information that may be compromised if accessed without your authorization;
- Your local IT Help Desk may be able to provide you with a loaner device.
✓ Review in detail UBC Information Security Standard U6 “Working Remotely” if you will be accessing UBC electronic information while travelling.
✓ Review UBC Resource “Security Considerations for International Travel with Mobile Devices” if you are travelling with encrypted devices.
During travel:
✓ Register your travels with the Government of Canada so that they can notify you of any emergency situation (e.g., civil unrest, natural disaster) at your destination.
✓ Assess the type of information that you need to bring with you or that you are ready to share during your travels:
- A good rule of thumb is to bring and share only what is required for your trip and keep to what you are comfortable with sharing widely (e.g., published research papers, previously presented lectures, etc.) in order to safeguard sensitive research information;
- Take the same precaution with your personal information and limit sharing to only what is required.
✓ Be aware that unsolicited requests or approaches by new contacts may be attempts to collect information from you and be ready to direct the discussion towards non-sensitive or proprietary topics.
✓ Consider deferring any signing of agreements or legal documents until you can consult relevant UBC policies, units, and/or relevant Government of Canada research security policies.
Resources:
UBC:
UBC Privacy Matters: Travel with Electronics
UBC Privacy Matters: Navigating Cyber Risks During Travel
U15 and Universities Canada Guide:
Travel security guide for university researchers and staff
Government of Canada:
Travel security guide for university researchers and staff
CSIS Far From Home Travel Security Guide
Public Safety Canada Safeguarding Science Module 6: Travelling Safely
[1] A recent case in Germany involves allegations of a couple luring “scientists to China to give paid lectures to a civilian audience when in reality, representatives of state-owned defense companies were attending”.
[2] See here for our guidance on foreign talent recruitment programs.