A former CIA and FBI agent has revealed her top tips for staying safe while travelling - including sleeping on the third floor of a hotel hotel and using a doorstop.
Tracy Walder, 44, worked for the CIA as an officer and the FBI as a special agent between 2000 and 2005 and learnt how to take extra precautions while on assignments abroad.
She has now shared her top tips for safety including using a door stop, sharing your itinerary and downloading a panic button app.
Before she even steps foot in a foreign country, Tracy researches the area for any threats and sets up an app that alerts contacts to her location in the event of an emergency.
When staying in hotels, Tracy opts to stay in a room located between the third and sixth floors - low enough for emergency access but far away enough from any intruders who might enter on the ground floor.
She also always uses the security lock in hotel rooms and travels with a door stop - she also ensures she has an Apple AirTag tracker in her luggage.
The former agent even uses an AirTag bracelet for her daughter, eight, to wear while abroad, and refuses to use private rented accommodation because of security risks.
Tracy, now professor of criminal justice, from Dallas, Texas, US, said: "The tips that I was sharing weren't necessarily things that I was able to take advantage of while working as an agent all the time but I always do them now.
"I was surprised by how much a friend didn't necessarily think about personal safety when she was travelling alone.
"When it comes to floor level, there's two things - first is entering. Typically, someone who's trying to do harm is going to go the easiest way that they can and that would be entering through the first floor as it is most accessible.
"With getting out, if you're too high on 20th floor or 21st floor - it's going to be really difficult for you to get out quickly.
"For me it's second nature now, I just got back from a trip to Florida this weekend and they had me on the first floor. I asked to be moved and they put me on the fourth floor.
"The other thing I do is bolt the room and put the security lock across.
"My husband, Ben, 44, teases me about it and while it's unlikely someone will break in, the reality is is that hotel staff have a keycard to get into your room."
Tracy began adopting her new tricks after a certain trip abroad left her feeling like she could be in danger.
She said: "Obviously I can't be extremely specific as it's still classified but generally speaking, I am coming at it from the idea that I am in another country spying on them - so I have to assume the other country maybe knows who I am and is maybe trying to do harm to me.
"They refused to move me from the first floor when I was on a job once and so I started putting towels under the door.
"When I was in one particular country that's when I realised I might need to take extra precaution because all the hotel doors faced outside, and I realised someone could fire something in."
After bolting the door shut, Tracy puts down a door stop to give herself even more security.
She said: "Put the door stop down straight away and it gives you an extra level of security.
"Some hotels don't have the safety latch and some hotels don't have door stops.
"My hope was to give people all different variations security control and encourage them to use things they can control or already have - without having to buy anything."
As well as controlling the security of her hotel room, Tracy shares her itinerary with her family as well using the 'Panic Button' app which alerts her emergency contacts to her location if pressed.
"I think that's a really important thing to do - and it's free as well," Tracy said.
The mum-of-one refuses to stay in private rented accommodation - calling it "risky."
She said: "I will not stay in those sorts of places - I find them extremely dangerous and risky.
"You are really putting your trust in someone that you don't know to stay in their home.
"You also really don't who is writing those reviews."
Tracy always uses AirTags, and even uses them in place of a phone for her daughter.
She said: "I always put AirTags in all of my luggage.
"If you are travelling with your child, they make AirTag bracelets so just incase you get separated, they have that on.
"So that's something to think about too."
List of tips -
Staying on hotel floor between level 3-6
Lock security locks in hotels
Use a door stop
Download Panic Button app
Share your itinerary with family
Put AirTags in luggage
Research country for threats before travelling
Tracy Walder, 44, worked for the CIA as an officer and the FBI as a special agent between 2000 and 2005 and learnt how to take extra precautions while on assignments abroad.
She has now shared her top tips for safety including using a door stop, sharing your itinerary and downloading a panic button app.
Before she even steps foot in a foreign country, Tracy researches the area for any threats and sets up an app that alerts contacts to her location in the event of an emergency.
When staying in hotels, Tracy opts to stay in a room located between the third and sixth floors - low enough for emergency access but far away enough from any intruders who might enter on the ground floor.
She also always uses the security lock in hotel rooms and travels with a door stop - she also ensures she has an Apple AirTag tracker in her luggage.
The former agent even uses an AirTag bracelet for her daughter, eight, to wear while abroad, and refuses to use private rented accommodation because of security risks.
Tracy, now professor of criminal justice, from Dallas, Texas, US, said: "The tips that I was sharing weren't necessarily things that I was able to take advantage of while working as an agent all the time but I always do them now.
"I was surprised by how much a friend didn't necessarily think about personal safety when she was travelling alone.
"When it comes to floor level, there's two things - first is entering. Typically, someone who's trying to do harm is going to go the easiest way that they can and that would be entering through the first floor as it is most accessible.
"With getting out, if you're too high on 20th floor or 21st floor - it's going to be really difficult for you to get out quickly.
"For me it's second nature now, I just got back from a trip to Florida this weekend and they had me on the first floor. I asked to be moved and they put me on the fourth floor.
"The other thing I do is bolt the room and put the security lock across.
"My husband, Ben, 44, teases me about it and while it's unlikely someone will break in, the reality is is that hotel staff have a keycard to get into your room."
Tracy began adopting her new tricks after a certain trip abroad left her feeling like she could be in danger.
She said: "Obviously I can't be extremely specific as it's still classified but generally speaking, I am coming at it from the idea that I am in another country spying on them - so I have to assume the other country maybe knows who I am and is maybe trying to do harm to me.
"They refused to move me from the first floor when I was on a job once and so I started putting towels under the door.
"When I was in one particular country that's when I realised I might need to take extra precaution because all the hotel doors faced outside, and I realised someone could fire something in."
After bolting the door shut, Tracy puts down a door stop to give herself even more security.
She said: "Put the door stop down straight away and it gives you an extra level of security.
"Some hotels don't have the safety latch and some hotels don't have door stops.
"My hope was to give people all different variations security control and encourage them to use things they can control or already have - without having to buy anything."
As well as controlling the security of her hotel room, Tracy shares her itinerary with her family as well using the 'Panic Button' app which alerts her emergency contacts to her location if pressed.
"I think that's a really important thing to do - and it's free as well," Tracy said.
The mum-of-one refuses to stay in private rented accommodation - calling it "risky."
She said: "I will not stay in those sorts of places - I find them extremely dangerous and risky.
"You are really putting your trust in someone that you don't know to stay in their home.
"You also really don't who is writing those reviews."
Tracy always uses AirTags, and even uses them in place of a phone for her daughter.
She said: "I always put AirTags in all of my luggage.
"If you are travelling with your child, they make AirTag bracelets so just incase you get separated, they have that on.
"So that's something to think about too."
List of tips -
Staying on hotel floor between level 3-6
Lock security locks in hotels
Use a door stop
Download Panic Button app
Share your itinerary with family
Put AirTags in luggage
Research country for threats before travelling
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FunTranscript
00:00 my time at CIA, I traveled to over 10 different countries. Some I think we would deem pretty
00:05 safe. Others I think we would say are in the middle of a war zone. And I got very used
00:12 to traveling and how to travel safely. And even today, for speaking engagements, I travel
00:18 quite a bit by myself. So I thought maybe I could give you just some safety tips that
00:24 I've used along the way that are very simple and help make me feel a little bit safer when
00:31 I'm traveling. I think the first thing is let's start with the hotel. The safest floors
00:36 are floors three to six. You don't want to be on the ground floor. If they put you on
00:41 the ground floor, ask for that to be changed. The reason I say three to six is it's difficult
00:48 for someone to climb up that. However, it is for the most part pretty accessible if
00:55 there is an emergency like a fire. Also, lock the security lock. It's the first thing I
01:01 do behind myself. When I enter the room, lock the security lock right away. And whenever
01:07 you're in the room, keep that lock locked. There's really no reason to have it unlocked
01:11 if you're inside your room. The other thing too is once I'm in the room for good for the
01:16 evening, I actually travel with a doorstop. It's just one of those rubber doorstops. It's
01:22 cheap. It's light. It's easy. It's not going to weigh down your luggage. And you can jam
01:26 that into the door as well while you're sleeping to give you sort of an added sense of security.
01:36 Another thing, if you do decide to go down to the bar, have a drink, whatever it is that
01:41 you want to do. Always watch your drink. Don't leave your drink alone. Send your itinerary
01:47 to folks that are not traveling with you. I always send mine to my husband. And even
01:52 though I'm 45 years old, I do send it to my mom as well so that they know where I am.
01:58 Two apps that I would recommend if you're traveling outside of the United States, I
02:03 would actually recommend the safe department app. It's called the Safe Traveler app. And
02:09 it will give you insight as to whether or not there are any national security and security
02:13 issues in the countries that you're at. And it's free. The other app that I would suggest
02:18 that I have on my phone is actually called Panic Button. You do not need the screen to
02:23 be active to use it. It's just a button that you would push. And it alerts people on your
02:28 contact list that you have provided to them that there is an emergency. And it provides
02:34 those individuals with your GPS location. So those are the travel safety tips that I
02:39 have for you. Don't be scared to travel. It's awesome. Just a few safety tips give you a
02:46 little bit of a peace of mind.