Technology

Internet and Cybersecurity

We encourage you to use common sense and exercise precaution regarding your online presence while studying away. Some steps you can take towards this include:

• Set up Google 2-Step Verification to protect and access your account from abroad, if you haven’t already done so.
• Use GlobalProtect for Macalester’s VPN to securely connect your laptop, smartphone or tablet to our network when you are not on campus: VPN setup guides for macOS, Windows, Chromebook. Encrypt hard drives and phones; set secure passwords; some computers may have the option to use an encrypted SD card as an external drive so it can be removed if not in use.
• Connect with partners/family using a secure encrypted communications app such as Signal or WhatsApp. Signal is available for Android and iOS. A desktop version is also available for Linux, Windows, and macOS. WhatsApp has also adopted some of the security protocols from Signal for messaging. Both parties must download Signal in order for the encryption to work.
• You should let trusted friends/family know where you are and how to get a hold of them at all times by using the “Share my location” option on a phone; provide friends/family with numbers of the Embassy, staff and contacts where you are staying so that family/friends can give exact details about location in case of an emergency.
• If you have to hand over your device(s) to authorities and it is out of your possession for any length of time, it would be possible for software to be added that could undermine any of these security protocols. So in that event, you may decide to err on the side of caution and not send anything you would not want to be tracked.
• Visit https://www.eff.org/ for more information on electronic civil liberties and freedoms.

Phones

Many programs require that you have a phone that can make and receive calls while on study away. But, using your phone abroad can be a very costly exercise. Many standard plans don’t include any calls, texts, or data while traveling internationally, and casual usage rates can be extremely high. To avoid this happening to you, here are some suggestions:

• Check to see whether your mobile provider has any packages designed for international use that are within your budget. Different carriers have different options; contact your carrier. 
• If you’d prefer to avoid roaming charges or an international plan entirely, you can do so with an unlocked smartphone. First, you need to unlock your U.S. phone before you leave the U.S., and ensure your phone will work in your intended destinations because carriers around the world use different technologies and frequencies. Once you arrive at your study away location, you can remove your existing cell company’s SIM card and replace it with one from a local company in your destination, or update your digital eSIM. Then, you can purchase a local plan or calling minutes/data.
• Purchase a simple phone (not smart phone) locally. If your home phone isn’t unlocked and you don’t have an international plan, be sure to turn off cellular data (and use Wi-Fi instead) before you board the plane to your destination, and leave it that way until you get home. That allows you to use your smart phone with WiFi only for internet, and your local phone for calling. Availability and speed of WiFi differ depending on the country, so be prepared for that.
• Set up a communication plan with your family and friends at home before you leave. Consider using apps like WhatsApp, or Google Voice when you need to stay in touch. 

Social Media

Here are a few considerations around social media use while on study away:

• Think before you post!
• How are you presenting yourself?
• How are you presenting your host country and the local people?
• Consider consent, especially with photos of children.
• We know things can go viral quickly – please don’t put yourself on the map in a negative light.

Electricity Abroad

Before you depart the U.S., you should consider your electricity and charging needs during study away. Many other countries don’t use the same outlets as in the U.S., so you might need an adapter or a converter. The big difference between an adapter and a converter is electricity. While the purpose of an adapter is to simply help the plugs on your electronics fit into (or more aptly, adapt to the shape of) foreign outlets, a converter’s job is to change the voltage found in an outlet to match that of your devices.

Use this resource to help find out what you might need: voltagevalet.com