It can happen in an instant. Lost in your thoughts, rehashing the agenda of the upcoming lunch meeting, you’re not fully aware of your surroundings in the jostling crowd. You hail a taxi and reach to grab your wallet, only to discover it’s gone.

According to Mike Kelly, CEO of On Call International, “Time is the business traveler’s biggest adversary. We’re all busy, but when traveling, we’re constantly multitasking and usually on a tight schedule. When we ignore our surroundings, our safety may be compromised.”

While life on the road might seem glamorous to non-travelers, the truth is time away from home is risky business. From fatigue and illness to personal safety, business travelers express the most concern for their security while navigating the unpredictable waters of travel.

One in every seven people traveled the world last year, according to the World Tourism Organization, with the number of international travelers exceeding 1 billion. Personal safety consistently tops most international business travelers’ lists (31 percent), according to the International Business Traveler Study conducted by Europ Assistance USA, while 27 percent are also anxious about potential terrorism or radicalism events.

Since 9/11, companies have responded to the wake-up call by revamping their corporate travel policies and addressing travel security protocol. Larger firms added a corporate safety officer or department. Others hired a new breed of consultants, travel risk management companies, leaving it to the professionals to administer travel security matters surrounding their burgeoning international business.

“Corporations have a ‘duty of care’ to employees,” says On Call’s Kelly. “At the least, a company should provide its business travelers with advance information on the location, cultural norms and the areas of the city to be most aware of your surroundings.”

“Corporate policies on travel safety have come a long way in the past decade,” says Suzanne Garber, chief networking officer, International SOS, a leading provider of medical assistance and travel security services. “Companies realize their responsibility is to protect their employees. However, the robustness of these safety policies depends on collaboration with other departments within the organization. Bottom line: Awareness and interest in safety starts at the top.”

Clear guidance is required to devise and implement corporate travel safety programs, and this happens across several departments. At a minimum, Garber says, these policies should be proactive, include pre-trip assessment, on-the-ground communication and monitoring, and posttrip activities. However, the biggest obstacle can be when everyone’s plate is full and no one takes charge.

On-the-ground itineraries can be monitored by partnering with a corporation’s travel management company, who can also assist when crisis situations require bringing employees back home. But that’s only part of the intricate web of travel safety.

“What’s often lacking is comprehensive employee training and education to employees traveling abroad,” explains Garber. “We offer resources to map out key risk areas, such as Iran may have an extreme political risk, while Greenland’s risk is extremely low. It’s also possible to have varying degrees of risk within a particular country across sectors. When something goes awry, 24/7 support is non-negotiable.”

Enter partnerships with international risk management firms that are critical to protecting all stages of the corporation’s greatest asset, the business traveler.

“The world is rapidly changing, resulting in an increase in international crisis situations, from kidnappings to show trials,” says Eric Volz, managing director of the David House Agency, a firm specializing in complex legal and political situations abroad.

Show trials, according to Volz, is a new term describing cases such as Tacoma resident Jason Puracal’s fight against the Nicaraguan justice system. Puracal first arrived in Nicaragua as a Peace Corps volunteer and stayed as a local businessman. When a local power made a dangerous play for his business, the David House Agency had a hand in arranging for his release from maximum-security prison, although Puracal is still battling the legalities.

“Unfortunately, when doing business in foreign countries,” Volz says, “no matter how much you practice safety, bad things can happen, from kidnappings to wrongful arrests.”

At a minimum, Volz recommends establishing an alliance with an international risk management firm with an established network of experts on the ground where your company does business — before you require their services. Do your homework and start a dialogue.

WHILE THE TRAVELER’S PHYSICAL safety is important, so is the cyber security of the company’s sensitive information.

Jerry Irvine, CIO, Prescient Solutions, says the advent of inexpensive and user-friendly consumer mobile devices creates a difficult safety policy for corporations. “The iPhone is not designed to be an enterprise solution, yet IT is pressured to implement. The goal may be for everyone to bring his own device, but this ‘inexpensive’ option results in more expenses with the additional services required to manage these devices.”

Marc Pollak, director of Swift Security Solutions and a former CIA National Clandestine Service officer, says, “Any sensitive information you take on your laptop, cellphone, even thumb drive is vulnerable to theft. Yes, deleted data is still recoverable. Encrypt sensitive info and use strong passwords.”

Keep your sensitive information in your possession at all times, recommends Pollak. “If a customs official walks away with your laptop, consider all of it compromised. When visiting a competitor’s facility and a security guard requires your cellphone to be left at the front desk, consider it to be compromised.”

Pollak also cautions business travelers and corporations that even familiar hotel brands may not be safe for your company’s proprietary information. Phone and Internet connections may be monitored. Hotel employees may facilitate access to your room. The best advice is never leave sensitive information unattended. Ask your security officer for virtual private network use, but still consider public connections to be suspect.

The best cyber security strategy is to travel with as little information as necessary. On your return, the security officer should scan and clear all your devices before reconnecting into your company’s network.

© Lucian Milasan | Dreamstime.com

SAFETY FIRST

BEFORE YOU TRAVEL

• Be informed. Check the U.S. State Department website for country-specific reports, advice, alerts and advisories.

• Stay connected. Communicate travel plans with your corporate safety officer and your family. Make it a habit to communicate your safe arrival; if they don’t hear from you, it’s an alert. Report changes in travel plans. Confirm your mobile device has international service, or buy a prepaid international phone. Keep it charged.

• Know who to contact. Research your destination and local consulate contact information.

• Buy travel insurance. If your company does not provide travel insurance, consider buying it yourself (see “Are You Covered?”, Global Traveler, October 2012).

• Evaluate your hotel. Choose those with electronic room locks, a well-staffed lobby, controlled access and other security features.

ON ARRIVAL

• Be street smart. Be aware of your surroundings and your belongings. On Call’s Kelly suggests women wear cross-body bags and men wrap a rubber band around their wallet for more resistance. Limit fancy jewelry or handbags. Follow local customs to blend in. Tourists are targets because they look like tourists.

• Mix up your money. Credit cards are useful, but carry local currency, too. Don’t use an ATM if someone is lurking. Kelly says, “Watch for small cameras meant to record you as you enter a PIN.” Don’t keep all your valuables in one place; have extra cash or credit cards stored in the hotel safe or a secret, safe place. Check credit card company policies before traveling.

• Protect your passport. Kelly suggests having copies in different places. “I always keep a copy in my ‘overseas’ suitcase and with family members at home. I also have a picture of it stored in my phone.” Make sure you have the U.S. embassy contact information.

• Keep a closed-door policy. Do not open your door for someone you don’t know. If you didn’t request a hotel service, communicate via phone or through the door. When leaving your room, place a “Do not disturb” sign on your door.

• Taxis and public transit. Don’t depend on the taxi driver. Know where you’re going. Use Google maps, plan an alternate route and know nearby safe zones like police stations and banks.

• Meet ’n’ greets. Business travel is all about connections, but choose your meeting place wisely: a public place like your hotel restaurant or a well-known venue instead of an unfamiliar office in an off-the-beaten-path neighborhood.

• Stay sober. Drinking too much is a major contributor to security incidents abroad.

• Identify what’s valuable. Pollack of Swift Security says, “Your safety and that of people around you should be No. 1. Prioritize other items such as business-sensitive info, physical property and your company’s relationships and reputation. Develop sound situational awareness. Then develop a sound security plan.”

FOR WOMEN TRAVELERS

Women should take special care when traveling. Garber of International SOS offers these tips:

• Guard hotel and personal information.

• Mannerisms. Smiles and direct gazes may be interpreted as invitations to danger. Research the destination and culture thoroughly.

• Dress modestly. Be respectful; know local customs for women. Is it prudent to wear a head scarf? Are skirts appropriate, and what length? What about sleeves, fabric patterns and colors, shoe styles?

• Stay in public view at all times. If you must travel solo, walk with groups.