Slashdot Mirror
Securing Your Notebook Against US Customs
Nethemas the Great points out a piece from Bruce Schneier running in the UK's Guardian newspaper with some tips for international travelers on securing notebook computers for border crossings. A taste of the brief article:
"Last month a US court ruled that border agents can search your laptop, or any other electronic device, when you're entering the country. They can take your computer and download its entire contents, or keep it for several days. ... Encrypting your entire hard drive, something you should certainly do for security in case your computer is lost or stolen, won't work here. The border agent is likely to start this whole process with a 'please type in your password.' Of course you can refuse, but the agent can search you further, detain you longer, refuse you entry into the country and otherwise ruin your day."
...that your desktop is the Goatse guy and you have 14 videos of horse porn set to auto-play the moment your laptop gets opened. If you're going to snoop through my stuff in public, then the whole terminal is gonna get their money's worth, you fascist bully-boys.
Make a folder called "Terror Plans" and fill it with images of cute, cuddly kittens.
FOXTROT UNIFORM CHARLIE KILO
It's actually because I need to load a device management driver that overrides the BIOS data for the hard disk, but it may actually be worth it for them to try to fiddle around at the MS-DOS prompt...
If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
Of course not. The Department of Homeland Security doesn't hire any lower than a Master's degree.
Cretin - a powerful and flexible CD reencoder
Some of today's higher end laptops have easily removable Hard Drives (some multiple drives). It shouldn't take more than a minute or two to replace a functional secondary HD for Customs, and have the other drive tucked into your bag.
Though, they'll probably protest the phillips driver you'll have to carry to accomplish this, because you know that is a dangerous weapon.
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
Because
We have a whole plethora of words at our disposal with which to convey subtly nuanced meaning and/or sound like pompous gits, depending on the gravity and artifice of the situation. Why, the sheer range of verbal and literary shenanigans available to us is both rejuvenating and invigorating -- allowing us to express ourselves through many permutations of linguistic machinations.
I suppose we could go the 1984 route and strip out all of the words for which people think there is no longer a valid purpose. That way we'd all come down to a nice, easy level of communication, and eventually strip certain kinds of thoughts from people.
In the meantime, some of us will reinforce the veracity of our arguments and interactions with our more polysyllabic linguistic choices to more adequately articulate the lucidity of our positions on topical considerations.
Cheers
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
I heard they shipped it back to you already, through Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport.
Ibid.
This is a job for Johnny Mnemonic!
Sierra Tango Foxtrot Uniform
Next time your laptop breaks down leave the country and come back in and let the TSA figure out whats wrong. Better yet just to screw with them every time you go out of the country buy a cheap busted laptop and carry in though customs.
You are certainly right that entering any country can be an interesting experience. Some years ago as a Brit I re-entered the UK and was waived on, by a male customs officer, thru the green passage. A female voice from behind me called out "Stop". I complied and asked why she was giving contrary intructions to another officer? She simply told me "I am in charge". Cut the story short, this female customs officer tore all my baggage and suitcases apart for 1 1/2 hours in a desperate attempt to justify her "suspicions" to her lower ranks. Eventually she decided I owed TWO POUNDS duty, on a minor gift. As I was attempting to put my belongings in order, which were by now strewn over a wide area, she demanded payment. I pulled out a 50 pound note from my wallet and handed it to her apologizing for my lack of small change. She turend and walked towards a door with the money. I called out "Stop" and she turned with a very annoyed look on her face. I said "Excuse me, but your lack of trust of me has been very evident, so you will foregive me if I have similar reservations towards yourself. Please sign this piece of paper saying you hold my 50 pound note and will return with 48 pds change". She turned red with anger, but complied. Meantime the rank and file officers just about fell apart and all ran away rather than laugh out loud. Yeah I know I pushed my luck. But I had retained my cool for 1 1/2 hours while being treated as if I were the worst form of low life..... I also knew I had nothing to hide. Trust is a two way thing anyway. The moral of all this is that when entering ANY country you are and can be subject to officials who have "god" like powers. And there is little one can do but smaile and be responsive and stay cool for as lonmg as possible.
Returning from numerous business trips to Mexico over the years, I've received extra scrutiny twice. Once because I had declared liquor on a prior trip and I was over my limit. I actually got to keep the booze and was told to 'watch it' next time. The next time, I came back with some medication for dysentery and looked pretty rough (my next stop was a hospital for a week long stay) The customs guy asked, "Where did you get this strange Mexican medicine?" I answered, "From a strange Mexican doctor. Where is the bathroom?" The guy laughed and sent me on my way before I shat on his floor.
I have many stories of entering countries. Ask me about Dubai in 1980 someday..... Well I flew from New York to Paris on business one day and arrived early morning. I had been somewhat rushed leaving the house and had grabbed my UK passport on the way out of door. So at immigrations I place my passport on the table for the immigration guy. He opens it and grins for a moment pushes it back to me and says. Take a look! I do and open it. To my horror the first thing I see is a picture of my very young daughter staring at me. In error I had picked up her passport. Fast fwd. I get politely lead away to a corridor and asked to sit and wait. About 20 minutes later an aristocratic looking man around 30, in slacks and blazer turns up and leads me into an interview room. He says "Do you speak French". I say: "Not enough to handle this situation!". He smiles, look at the passport and smiles again more broadly. "Ian, he says, I am NOT your problem. Nobody would try to enter France illegally this way. You are free to go now". "Thanks" I say. "Don't thank me he says, think about how difficult it will be now for you to leave France. Good luck" He was right. The Britush Embassy also fell part with laughter at my story. Everyone appeared from counters and doors to hear the oft repeated story. I finally resolved the situation by having my real passport couriered to my hotel. Check ALL important documents B4 travelling, it really does help. And if you mess up, find officials with a sense of humor.....
As if the customs in Amsterdam were worried about you smuggling drugs or porn...
I infer it was your first visit...
May contain traces of nut.
Made from the freshest electrons.
Orbis terrarum est non altus satis
Obama bin Laden must orgasm every single night at how
My vote for the typo of the day!.sig: No such file or directory