Journalists from around the world are traveling to North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. So, not surprisingly, our digital security team has been receiving more questions than ever about how to prepare sensitive data and electronic devices for international travel.

A good team always comes prepared, so let’s talk about how to think through risk, as well as some things you can do to prepare your phones, computers, and recording devices.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection data suggests it conducted about 55,000 searches of travelers’ electronic devices at land ports of entry in 2025. This constitutes about 0.01% of all passengers, so it’s important to put this into perspective and remember that the chances of experiencing a border search are generally small.

But while you might think it’s fun to bet on a match, it’s not fun to bet on your own data. If you have highly sensitive information about your work on your devices, that remote risk may still be too much, and you will want to take some extra precautions.

Your identity and citizenship may also factor into how you think about your personal risk. CBP data tells us, for instance, that non-U.S. citizens account for about 75% of the secondary searches. Of course, you may also be denied entry to a country where you do not have citizenship. But while a U.S. citizen may be delayed or have their devices seized, they can’t be denied entry to the United States.

All of these considerations may affect what you’re willing to do to prepare your devices for potential search.

Remove the crown jewels

Think about the most sensitive information you would not want captured if someone were to search your phone or computer. If you choose to comply with a search, consider removing it so that there’s nothing interesting to see in the first place. You can always make a backup and get ahold of deleted data later!

Note that many applications, such as your file browser, photo gallery app, and even some messaging apps, like iMessage, may have a “recycling bin” where you will have to delete sensitive data a second time.

Consider a secondary travel device

If you have the resources or support from your newsroom, you may instead consider bringing a secondary device, whether phone or laptop, specifically for traveling.

Note that you will want to prepare this well in advance — not the day before. Practice using it at least a few days before travel so that you can identify applications that you need (e.g., Signal) and information that you will need to put on it, such as emergency contacts, your editor’s number, legal support, etc.

Use device encryption when possible

If border officials get ahold of your devices, it is technically possible, while rare, to make a forensic copy of your data. Unfortunately, right now, there is no reliable way to prevent someone from looking at data stored on professional video cameras or recording devices. However, you can certainly transfer your recordings to an encrypted device instead.

For your phone, computer, and tablets, disk encryption helps maximize the privacy of your device by scrambling information you store until the device is unlocked with your passcode.

Mac users, ensure you have disk encryption enabled with FileVault, and Windows users, try BitLocker.

If you have a modern, up-to-date smartphone, disk encryption should already be enabled.

All you need to do is have a strong passcode. We recommend a long, unique, and random passcode — don’t make an own goal and choose “000000” or something predictable. Ensure the passcode is not reused elsewhere.

Champions might use an alphanumeric passcode to make it even harder for someone else to unlock your device. To learn how, read our guide to mobile maintenance.

Just remember: To fully activate disk encryption, the device needs to be turned all the way off, so power down your phone and computer when you are passing through a port of entry.

Go for the gold

If you want a more exhaustive list of things you can do to prepare your devices for a border search, read our border security checklist. Journalists can also reach out to our digital security team for support.