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Tips For Taking Your Laptop Into and Out of the US?

Posted by timothy on from the hug-a-tsa-agent-with-fervor-and-passion dept.

casualsax3 writes "I'm going to be taking a week long round trip from NYC to Puerto Vallarta Mexico sometime next month, and I was planning on taking my laptop with me. I'll probably want to rip a few movies and albums to the drive in order to keep busy on the flight. More important though, is that I'm also going to be taking pictures while I'm there, and storing them on the laptop. With everything in the news, I'm concerned that I'll have to show someone around the internals of my laptop coming back into the US. The pictures are potentially what upsets me the most, as I feel it's an incredible violation of my privacy. Do I actually need to worry about this? If so, should I go about hiding everything? I've heard good things about Truecrypt. Is it worth looking into or am I being overly paranoid?"

61 of 940 comments (clear)

  1. If you're that worried... by daveschroeder · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...encrypt it. Full disk encryption is relatively cheap, easy, and unobtrusive.

    You gave one such example in your post.

    But uh, mind if I ask: exactly what kind of pictures are you planning on taking on your vacation? ;-)

    1. Re:If you're that worried... by vwjeff · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Make sure you have a backup of the pictures before you enter the US. Secure online storage is cheap. You can refuse to give them the password but they can take your laptop for "analysis."

    2. Re:If you're that worried... by asdir · · Score: 4, Informative

      According to briefing my boss gave me recently, Truecrypt would not help: If they really wanted to see your content they could ask you to show it to them or alternatively confiscate your laptop and decrypt it themselves. The latter would mean you would probably not see your laptop again.
      Let me tell you: As a European scientist I am even more frigthened now to go or even move to the US.

    3. Re:If you're that worried... by Timothy+Brownawell · · Score: 4, Insightful

      ...encrypt it. Full disk encryption is relatively cheap, easy, and unobtrusive.

      And ineffective, unless your privacy is worth more than the cost to piss them off and have to replace your laptop.

    4. Re:If you're that worried... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But uh, mind if I ask: exactly what kind of pictures are you planning on taking on your vacation? ;-)

      It shouldn't matter what kind of pictures he takes. It is none of their business.

    5. Re:If you're that worried... by QCompson · · Score: 4, Insightful

      But uh, mind if I ask: exactly what kind of pictures are you planning on taking on your vacation? ;-)

      A subtle "if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear" poke. Haha.

      It doesn't matter what kind of pictures he takes with him on vacation. He doesn't want a bunch of random law enforcement officials looking at his private pictures. Understandably.

    6. Re:If you're that worried... by LighterShadeOfBlack · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Truecrypt would not help: If they really wanted to see your content they could ask you to show it to them or alternatively confiscate your laptop and decrypt it themselves.

      Truecrypt provides plausible deniability - the capability to create a hidden encrypted volume within another encrypted volume, thereby allowing you to grant access to unimportant/dummy data when a password is asked for without the attacker knowing additional information even exists.

      As for the US government just decrypting the colume themselves, as far as I know they simply don't have that capability. If your boss knows otherwise or has knowledge of ways to defeat Truecrypt's plausible deniability then (s)he should provide some kind of evidence to back that up, otherwise this just sounds like uninformed guesswork or pure tinfoil-hattery.

      --
      Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and stupid comments are intentional.
    7. Re:If you're that worried... by daveschroeder · · Score: 5, Informative

      No, they cannot "sieze your laptop" if you don't give them the encryption password; a strict reading of the policy is that the laptop can be seized in any event, encryption or no. There is NO REQUIREMENT to provide anyone with an encryption password under any circumstances. The existing policy doesn't even speak to encryption. In fact, leading privacy advocates recommend encryption as the most deisrable solution.

      You guys do realize that customs agents at the border have ALWAYS had the right -- without a warrant -- to perform reasonable search and inspection of all physical objects and persons coming into the United States; this policy was designed to expand those longstanding inspection rights to electronic data.

      In its current state, it's a poorly written policy. The fact is, no one is going to look at the contents of your laptop, much less be seizing it. (Do you guys actually travel internationally?)

    8. Re:If you're that worried... by MBGMorden · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Truecrypt provides plausible deniability - the capability to create a hidden encrypted volume within another encrypted volume, thereby allowing you to grant access to unimportant/dummy data when a password is asked for without the attacker knowing additional information even exists.

      Well, there's that, and the fact that no file can be positively identified to be a Truecrypt volume. Until you you give a password it just appears to be random data. High entropy random data, but the guy at the border is looking for a 5 minutes spree tops - I seriously doubt he knows what entropy is let alone enough to check for it.

      If you're that worried create a volume with nearly same size as your system RAM, keep it in a directory with some source code (even write a stupid program that will crash if you want) and just name it "core" or "core.dumped". If asked about it tell them when you were testing your program (that does whatever you want to maekup) it crashed and dumped memory to file. It's probably just corrupted nonsense . . .

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    9. Re:If you're that worried... by martinw89 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes, I was going to recommend plausible deniability as well.

      Here's a little more info about how it works. Basically, you set up a container and a hidden volume. Each has its own passphrase. To open the hidden volume, you use its passphrase when opening the container. To open the container with dummy data, you type its passphrase. It's very simple and quite hidden if done correctly. To be safe, it's best to access the hidden volume from a live CD so the OS doesn't break your deniability by storing temporary files or "recently accessed documents" etc.

      However, there is one big note of caution. Do not back up the container. Ever. An attacker could look at the change over time and determine there is a hidden volume. That's probably too paranoid for your case but it's worth mentioning.

    10. Re:If you're that worried... by dgatwood · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There's only one solution that guarantees that nobody will rifle through your data: don't bring it with you through the border crossing. That's what servers are for... and SSL, or at least SSH/SCP/SFTP.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    11. Re:If you're that worried... by OmegaBlac · · Score: 5, Informative

      If your laptop gets seized and searched, and they discover it's encrypted, couldn't they just order you to give them access to the files?

      No, they cannot order you to provide the keys to decrypt or force you to decrypt the hard drive/files yourself. There was a recent case (I think it was United States v. Boucher) regarding this issue, but here in the U.S. (for the time being) you are not required to aid law enforcement officials in essentially self-incriminate yourself. In the U.K. you are required to hand over your encryption keys if law enforcement demands it, I think--someone correct me if I am wrong there.

    12. Re:If you're that worried... by commodoresloat · · Score: 5, Funny

      It shouldn't matter what kind of pictures he takes. It is none of their business.

      I think he was more concerned about our amusement than their business.

    13. Re:If you're that worried... by paulatz · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I think it is much easier to bring 2 USB keys to Mexico, move the data on them and send them home via regular mail, separately.

      --
      this post contain no useful information, no need to mod it down
    14. Re:If you're that worried... by Dare+nMc · · Score: 4, Insightful

      no one is going to look at the contents of your laptop

      they're have been over 20 lawsuits filed against US customs for them doing that exact thing (how many didn't sue?). So it is very unlikely the someone from customs will look at your laptop data. But not a absolute by any means.

      Now the likely hood of those outside of US customs (ie a thief or friend, etc) looking at it is infinitely more likely. They may even blackmail you with that data. So it is a very good idea for him to encrypt the incriminating photos,etc and a few other things for kicks. I wouldn't worry about the video files ripped from DVD, at most rename them to something less obvious (for windows just change the extension, they won't even play then) Besides if you watching them on the plane the air Marshall seeing(and caring) you play them is slightly more likely anyway. Since entering the US is the only time you'd see customs just delete them as you watch And empty the recycle bin (restore from backup once home.)

    15. Re:If you're that worried... by postbigbang · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Such a plan is an invitation for disaster and confiscation. Don't think for a second that encryption isn't a red flag. And if they could decrypt (I believe for many reasons that there isn't such a thing as an unbreakable cypher) your data, why are you angry? Would they steal it? Put it up on a flickr site?

      Yes, the entire program is a total affront to both US Constitutional rights to reasonable search (this isn't), to privacy (yes, we need a real amendment) and just plain human dignity.

      If you have important data, drop it to a DVD. Put that in a separate place. Carry lots of them. Don't look like a terrorist or mad scientist as you go through customs and immigration. Then restore your data as needed. And feel free to make your computer bag as messy as you can.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    16. Re:If you're that worried... by autophile · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Truecrypt provides plausible deniability - the capability to create a hidden encrypted volume within another encrypted volume, thereby allowing you to grant access to unimportant/dummy data when a password is asked for without the attacker knowing additional information even exists.

      And that helps when they confiscate your laptop and "lose" it... how?

      Pictures: Store them on a high-capacity USB drive, SD card, or other small device. Hide it. That way, if they get your computer, they still won't get your pictures.

      Movies: Why I iPod ya? I think they're less likely to grab task-specific devices over computers. And they cost less.

      Either way, by bringing along a laptop, there will always be the risk they simply take it and lose it. No amount of data trickery can get around that.

      --
      Towards the Singularity.
    17. Re:If you're that worried... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Extending off of this idea, My solution for travel to the US was to remove the hard drive, leave it at home, and run my laptop off of an ubuntu livecd. Any data I wanted to keep was stored on SD cards purchased in the US.

    18. Re:If you're that worried... by CodeBuster · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I believe for many reasons that there isn't such a thing as an unbreakable cypher.

      Theoretically that is true, but the computational complexity (i.e. the number of operations required to solve the math problem) of modern crypto systems is such that rarely will an informed and determined adversary attempt to brute force the crypto system. In fact the number of operations and computing power required render the entire attempt hopeless, since the data cannot be recovered in this way within a single human lifetime (i.e. 120 years) even when the resources available to first world governments are taken into account. It is more likely, assuming that they have no qualms and are determined to get your data, that black bag or rubber hose techniques will employed instead. Basically, if the computer leaves your sight and possession (i.e. it is taken into the back room before being returned to you) then that particular computer can never be trusted again, which is why you should have a backup of your data somewhere else, preferably on a secure off-site server, before you begin your travels and regularly update it during your trip. As far as I know, from my background in Computer Science, modern cryptography provides security that it at least as good as any alternative method and most probably substantially superior to those alternatives. The mathematical and theoretical foundation of modern crypto is well understood and proven (the government also uses these same or similar crypto systems for their own data, so draw your own conclusions about the effectiveness of modern crypto systems).

      Don't think for a second that encryption isn't a red flag

      So what if it is? Do we surrender our rights under the Constitution because authoritarian elements within our government are treating us all as criminals and terrorists with something to hide? Shall we surrender to fear and give up our rights in response to terrorism or criminal activity and in exchange for what? The promise of those some government agents to protect us against the bad guys? No thanks, I will take my chances with my rights intact. A right not exercised is a right that does not exist except on paper. We should all encrypt all of our data in order to more effectively assert our collective rights against unwarranted search and seizure.

      And if they could decrypt...your data, why are you angry? Would they steal it? Put it up on a flickr site?

      It is the principle of the thing. The government in the US exists because of the consent of the people. Here in the United States, at least according to the Constitution, the individual citizen is sovereign and any powers not specifically granted to the government by the consent of the people are reserved to us the people. I would rather that everyone walk around armed to the teeth and encrypt all of their data then live in an authoritarian nanny state where big brother is watching.

      If you have important data, drop it to a DVD. Put that in a separate place. Carry lots of them.

      There are many ways around their schemes (some better than others) and that is one of them. The fact that determined and knowledgeable adversaries can slip through undetected makes this whole piece of security theater even worse. It only inconveniences and compromises those citizens and people who are not able to, by reason of ignorance or incompetence, protect their data (which almost certainly would not include anyone intent on doing real harm).

    19. Re:If you're that worried... by nahdude812 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Actually it was recently demonstrated that you can positively identify a hidden volume exists within a TrueCrypt volume, defeating plausible deniability. In addition, it was also recently demonstrated that regardless of the encryption algorithm used, it's possible to get a silhouette of high contrast encrypted images.

      So if they really wanted, they could identify the hidden volume exists, then apply this second technique to identify that images exist on it. To border agents, this is probably tantamount to admitting on the spot that you're smuggling kiddy porn across the border, and you may find that it's more than your laptop which is detained.

      Your best protection is to transfer the images separately from your laptop. Store them on Amazon S3 with a tool such as JungleDisk, and download them when you get home (this is a good idea in case something damages your laptop while traveling too).

      --
      Slay a dragon... over lunch!
    20. Re:If you're that worried... by The+Faywood+Assassin · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Actually its even easier than that.

      If you can, set the BIOS to set the CF or SD card slot as the first boot device, and the hard drive as the second.

      Thus, without a card in the slot during boot up, you get a normal Windows session, with the card in you get a Linux session.

      Also, if the Linux session does not auto mount the windows disk, then the simpleton inspecting your computer will never see your files on the hard drive.

      Puppy Linux and Damn Small Linux are perfect for this

      Beny

      --

      "I'm a humble person really,

      I'm actually much greater than I think I am"

    21. Re:If you're that worried... by nametaken · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You're absolutely right, it'd be downright trivial to confound any "homeland security" flunky. Those wretches couldn't find their own genitals with both hands and a flashlight.

      What bothers me is that we're even talking about this like we're troubleshooting a minor tech issue. Why the hell should we have to even think about this? How did we get a place where this is an issue to deal with?

      What comes next... they require us to install and run a government supplied application to scan the disk? I mean... that would be in our best interest, right? It'd shorten the lines and protect our children from terrorists at the same time? It's lightweight and unobtrusive, while protecting our freedom?

      This country has a horrible sickness, and no politician is going to cure it. I'm about as normal a guy as you'd ever meet... but something has to happen to wake us the F* up, and I afraid it'd have to be something terrible.

    22. Re:If you're that worried... by LandruBek · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I seriously doubt he knows what entropy is . . .

      lol. Von Neumann advised Shannon to call his measure of information 'entropy' because, as he put it, "no one knows what entropy really is."

      --
      $META_SIG_JOKE
  2. mail it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    problem solved.

  3. don't take data across the border by Aurisor · · Score: 4, Informative

    Throw a clean install on your laptop, and put your critical data on a server so you can just log in and download it when you arrive.

    When you're about to fly back, re-upload your data and wipe the drive.

    You could also just mail encrypted DVDs with substantial insurance.

  4. Short Answer by scipiodog · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Short answer: Truecrypt (as you mentioned in the summary.) Is it worth looking into? Yes. Are you being overly paranoid? No. Seriously, have you noticed the big brother trends recently? Truecrypt is very simply and effective encryption, in several forms, from simple encrypted containers to hidden O/S partitions. To take such a simple precaution is not, IMHO, overly paranoid.

    --
    http://clightnirish.wordpress.com/
  5. You could. by FireStormZ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Use a clean install and email the photos to yourself while you are there... or put them on an encrypted thumb drive / cd and snail mail it..

    --
    "Ahh! Arrogance and stupidity in the same package, how efficient of you!" --Londo Molari
  6. Well, who are you... by nweaver · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Are you a middle eastern looking young male? A white male returning from Thailand? If so, be paranoid.

    If not, no worries.

    --
    Test your net with Netalyzr
  7. Let them try to decrypt it. by haeger · · Score: 5, Funny

    Put your files on a few small USB-sticks, or on your home server (for encrypted retrieval once you're in the country). Bring a Live-CD to boot from and then "cat /dev/random > /dev/sda".
    Make sure to grow a big beard, learn a few arabic phrases and quote Allah to the security guard in customs.

    Then let them have a crack at decrypting your "encrypted" drive.

    Just be sure to say "Just kidding" so they don't ship you off to Guantanamo.

    .haeger

    --
    You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. -- Harlan Ellison
  8. Best defense by C10H14N2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...is a good offense.

    If you're offended by having your privacy invaded, just make it horribly offensive for the invader as well.

    With the right accessorizing and appropriate leather:latex:chainmail ratio, you can ensure even the most intrepid airport screener will breeze you through in record time.

    Oh...and, yes, Truecrypt is terrific, but not nearly as fun.

    1. Re:Best defense by fr4nk · · Score: 5, Funny

      ... or just use the goatse pic as a wallpaper.

  9. My personal experience by SkankinMonkey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've taken my laptop across the border 4 times, my wife has done so many times more, neither of us have had our laptops searched. I've been pulled aside by customs and asked questions once, but even then they did not request to see my laptop. I think the bottom line is, if you act shady they'll look at your stuff, if you're just getting your business done then you're fine.

  10. Re:Put the dunce cap away by HBI · · Score: 4, Informative

    OK, i'm not AC and I can tell you that they don't have time to check out laptops at most international airports beyond the aforementioned bomb check.

    Yes, i've passed into and out of the country several times during the last year. No search.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
  11. circumvention by Draque · · Score: 5, Insightful

    An ounce of circumvention is worth a pound of countermeasures. Don't store them on the laptop at all. Store the pictures you're taking online and you'll be able to access them from anywhere. Border patrol can't find something on your computer when it's not there. Even if that's not feasible 100% of the time, you could still make a temporary archive online while removing them from your computer. If even that has you feeling paranoid, you could always burn the files to DVD, wipe them from your computer, and stow the DVD.

  12. In other news.. by bigattichouse · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Offshore laptop rentals with temporary accounts linked to offshore data are booming! What a great business model. You set up an account with the company, stuff all your crap on a server, then when you get to your destination, you pick up a laptop (maybe your "rental fees" are part of your normal monthly service account)... logging in to the laptop mounts the remote volume and download away.

    --
    meh
  13. Re:Put the dunce cap away by megamerican · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No one said it is happening to everyone. That misses the point entirely. Illegally searching even a small percentage of people is unnacceptable. Especially since people affected by this have almost no redress and the DHS doesn't even accurately report when they do this.

    I guess its only a problem when it happens to you. Maybe you should pick up a history book and find out how well that attitude worked in the 1930's and many other time periods.

    --
    If you have something that you dont want anyone to know, maybe you shouldnt be doing it in the first place -Eric Schmidt
  14. Easy Solution by multipartmixed · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Send it to your hotel DHL overnight before you leave, and do the same to get it home.

    Problem solved.

    --

    Do daemons dream of electric sleep()?
  15. The Supreme Court agrees by daveschroeder · · Score: 4, Informative

    Darned border search exception.

    "travelers may be stopped [and searched] at . . . the border without individualized suspicion even if the stop [or search] is based largely on ethnicity[.]" United States v. Montoya de Hernandez, 473 U.S. 531, 538 (1985), United States v. Martinez-Fuerte, 428 U.S. 543, 562-563 (1976)

    and

    "may [...] conduct searches of the traveler's body -- including strip, body cavity, involuntary x-ray, and in some jurisdictions, patdown searches -- if the Customs officer has reasonable suspicion" to do so. United States v. Flores-Montano, 541 U.S. 149, 152-53 (2004), United States v. Johnson, 991 F.2d 1287, 1291-92 (7th Cir. 1993)

  16. Re:Put the dunce cap away by HBI · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Only children think in terms of the worst things that could happen to them. Every day, when I leave my house, I could get run over by a bus. I could get ass raped in a jail after being unfairly imprisoned by a cop for a crime I didn't commit. My house could be robbed. My person could be robbed. My car could have a molotov cocktail thrown at it. I could catch some nasty disease from a toilet seat.

    Note I spend about zero time thinking about these things because the chances of them happening to me are about nil. Ditto having my laptop searched. What are they going to find, my porn stash? WTF do I care, really. It's not worth a moment of my life to worry about.

    I retort: Maybe you should grow up and worry about things that are important, like where your next meal is coming from. I hear that it's growing fashionable now.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
  17. Re:Boot to shell by Foofoobar · · Score: 4, Informative

    Everyone has seen a shell prompt and knows that computer professionals use it. If you tell them you are a developer, system administrator, etc. They don't even want to HEAR you talking over their heads. You obviously know more about that machine than them and they send you on your way.

    --
    This is my sig. There are many like it but this one is mine.
  18. rsync every *.jpg at icanhazcheezburger.com by physicsphairy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Insist on showing them every picture!

    Also, backup the gutenberg project.

    Fill up the rest of your drive with dd if="/dev/random" of="secretstuff.iso" so that if they copy your drive they at least have something they can work on decrypting.

    Don't forget to bring your extra harddrives, too! I'd pay you to take some of my crashed ones... I would love for somebody to get the data off of them.

    Other than that, all I can think of is for you to laugh maniacally.

    --
    When things get complex, multiply by the complex conjugate.
  19. Re:Boot to BSoD by jbeaupre · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Or have it "crash" on boot and you'll be sent along your way with a sympathetic shrug.

    --
    The world is made by those who show up for the job.
  20. Theft in foreign country is a bigger concern by krlynch · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I know it's the hip thing to worry about Customs rifling through your laptop, but statistically, you have much better things to worry about when bringing your laptop on vacation ... among other things:

    0) Forgetting to bring the AC plug adapter,
    1) Customs services in the foreign country,
    2) Airport security on both ends,
    3) Simple theft of the laptop during the trip,
    4) Putting your laptop bag down on the bus and forgetting it,
    5) Spilling coffee on your keyboard at an internet cafe, and
    6) Dropping your laptop on your big toe and breaking both.

    Practically speaking, Customs agents can't be bothered to search individuals that aren't acting truly "hinky". I've been traveling internationally on a regular basis for business. My travel patterns certainly fit a certain "risk" profile (long stays outside the country, frequent travel, watch list name match, etc.) and I've never, in six years of this, ever had anything searched or questioned, much less seized. Practically, it's not worth worrying about.

  21. Known Your Adversary by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Truecrypt provides plausible deniability - the capability to create a hidden encrypted volume within another encrypted volume, thereby allowing you to grant access to unimportant/dummy data when a password is asked for without the attacker knowing additional information even exists.

    To do this you need the TrueCrypt bootloader installed, which is a dead give-away that you probably have a hidden volume. If you don't and they suspect of being a terrorist sympathizer you'll just get thrown in Gitmo until you give up your secrets.

    TrueCrypt plausible deniability is useful against those who cannot employ deadly force against you.

    If you're really concerned, wipe the drive, install linux on a small partition, use an encrypted network connection to upload the photos, then secure wipe the drive and install Windows XP on it for your border crossing. Better yet, get a $50 used laptop and leave it with a local school.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  22. Re:Rubber hose code cracking.... by LighterShadeOfBlack · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Well with Truecrypt at least it's open source so that should provide a good degree of protection against a backdoor in the software itself. There's still the possibility of a backdoor in the underlying encryption schemes of course which would be far beyond most people's ability to detect no matter how many people see it or how long they look. Truecrypt does however allow you to chain multiple encryption and hash algorithms which, given the diversity of their origins, should provide a reasonable degree of protection from backdoors.

    --
    Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and stupid comments are intentional.
  23. Re:Put the dunce cap away by tirerim · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So, you don't believe in life insurance, then? How about property insurance? Do you even lock your door when you go out? I don't worry too much about getting killed or having my stuff stolen, but that doesn't mean I don't take reasonable precautions for it. Having those precautions in place saves me from worrying about it.

    Personally, I don't worry too much about where my next meal is coming from, because I have a job. If I lose it, then perhaps I'll worry, until I find another one.

  24. Re:Put the tinfoil hat away by Reality+Master+101 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You'd think that, but there have been stories recently about that not being the case.

    There are "stories" about kidnapping of children, but I still let my children play outside. There are "stories" of serial killers, but I still walk in the city. There are "stories" of school shootings, but I still let my kids go to public school.

    What's your point?

    I can find a "story" about anything. That doesn't mean that it's common or that special precautions need to be taken.

    --
    Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
  25. Just returned from Europe with no issues by HeWhoMustNotBeNamed · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We flew into Munich, traveled by Train to Austria and returned to the US via Munich. We had no issues other than US Customs wanted to review the food items we were importing and declared. We knew that when we bought the Austrian chocolate and it took maybe an extra 5 minutes to go through the Agriculture lane for customs.

    I did burn a DVD of my pictures as a backup, more in case the laptop was stollen than if US Customs wanted to retain the laptop.

    Get over the paranoia and go see the world.

    1. Re:Just returned from Europe with no issues by bornwaysouth · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Deary, deary me. A sane voice. You really don't belong here. Your lack of problems came about because you acted on a normal fashion. Read the posts. These guys are off on another planet.

      An analogy.
      Imagine that you want to walk down a street at night, which just happens to have a lot of coke dealers on it. You have your own *private* reasons for being there. Cop patrols cruise by. The advice given by the other posts is wonderfully technical. The equivalent is. On seeing a cop car, scuttle into a doorway. Wear patterned clothing that allows you to blend into doorways. Wear rubber gloves and be prepared to drop any stash to allow plausible deniability. Have an artificial third leg. In short, wave a large neon sign saying "Look at me."

      There is an observation in the science press that terrorists seem to be more likely to be geeks than non-geeks. From the posts here, I'd say they are simply more likely to be caught.

  26. Best Suggestion by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now that you've escaped, why bother tunneling your way back into the Stalag^H^H^H^H^H^H Soviet^H^H^H^H^H^H U.S.?

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  27. Seriously by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Regular people, just doing ordinary legal business now need to worry about this?

    What the fuck is up?

    Doesn't this read more like an item that one would have expected to read - historically - by someone concerned about a visit to the Soviet Union, East Germany or Argentina? Looks like the Soviets didn't lose the cold war. There are just 1st and second runners-up, with both losers in a 15 year period, no? I mean, you fuckers used to have LAWS. You used to have a Constitutional validation of basic individual rights! But, I guess there are more important things to a nation, than the consent of the governed.

    In America, Soviet Union becomes YOU! You fucked up, America. And now you no longer exist in any meaningful context. The only single thing that defines you as a coherent entity within your borders is the way in which you are taxed - without representation.

    I don't know if I am angry or sad. But it is sad.

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
    1. Re:Seriously by Eternauta3k · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Doesn't this read more like an item that one would have expected to read - historically - by someone concerned about a visit to the Soviet Union, East Germany or Argentina?

      Regardless of the truth in that statement, I never heard of Argentina being used as an example of an intrusive country. The checks they do at customs are laughable.

      --
      Yeah. Would you choose a neurosurgeon who pokes around people's brains in his spare time? I wouldn't.
    2. Re:Seriously by klausner · · Score: 5, Informative

      You aren't paranoid if you really have enemies.

      While having someone look at my vacation pictures wouldn't especially bother me, having some Homeland Security dweeb who can't find the power switch impound my PC because he thinks that maybe, possibly, there is a chance there is something questionable scares the hell out of me.

      Customs (and others?) can seize laptops, disks, media, etc, FOR NO REASON AT ALL, and there is little or no legal recourse to get the stuff back. If that's not worth being paranoid over....

    3. Re:Seriously by C0vardeAn0nim0 · · Score: 5, Informative

      because you didn't visit argentina during late 70s or early 80s when our neighbors (well, we too, and ALL the rest of south america) were under a ruthless dictatorship that used to load anyone they didn't like into C-130s and drop them in the midle of the ocean.

      BTW, that regime ? sponsored by the US, with CIA's planning. as were all the dictatorships in the continent.

      --
      What ? Me, worry ?
    4. Re:Seriously by dbIII · · Score: 5, Insightful
      One lesson from an incredibly expensive joke of a "terrorist" case in Australia is that a photograph of a landmark is proof you are going to blow it up. Be careful with those holiday snapshots!

      The outcome was that the case was thrown out due to a complete lack of evidence apart from a very distant family relationship with another suspect in the UK, so beware, if Kevin Bacon does something you're screwed. It really did look like a show trial set up for an election year so that Australia could finally show the anti-terror laws were working.

      To be practical and serious I would say leave a copy of everything you really want to keep with somebody before you fly just so you can get it back if the laptop is mishandled or held up in any way, or even if you just drop the thing yourself.

  28. Social engineering: Bring a baby by Anonymous+Meoward · · Score: 4, Funny

    This past year we took a laptop with us to Vietnam to pick up our daughter. (We blogged from our hotel a lot. We were awake most of the time anyway.)

    Our jet-lagged child's first hour in the USA was interesting. Nothing cuts through the red tape and lines more effectively than a cranky baby screaming at 160 dB.

    --
    --- The American Way of Life is not a birthright. Hell, it's not even sustainable.
  29. Easy! by rlp · · Score: 5, Funny

    Border agent: What is your reason for traveling today.
    Geek:  I'm talking to a company about fault-tolerant servers
           ...
           and in this Powerpoint you'll notice that the two processors are running in
           lock-step.  Whereas, this comparator here looks at these two pairs of CPU's
           ....
    Border agent: You may go.
    Geek:  Wait!  This is the interesting part ...
    Border agent: For the love of God, please go!

    --
    [Insert pithy quote here]
  30. Use the tarantino method by grahamsz · · Score: 5, Funny

    The way your dad looked at it, this Secure Digital Card was your birthright. He'd be damned if any slopes gonna put their greasy yellow hands on his boy's birthright, so he hid it, in the one place he knew he could hide something: his ass. Five long years, he wore this solid state media device up his ass. Then when he died of dysentery, he gave me the memory card. I hid this uncomfortable piece of plastic up my ass for two years. Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family. And now, little man, I give this Sandisk Extreme 8GB SDHC card to you.

  31. photographing landmarks by falconwolf · · Score: 5, Informative

    One lesson from an incredibly expensive joke of a "terrorist" case in Australia is that a photograph of a landmark is proof you are going to blow it up. Be careful with those holiday snapshots!

    I don't know if there's anything like it in Australia but in the US we have this handbook, "The Photographer's Right", photographers started to carry. In a photography class in college I was taking when 911 happened, we heard about how photographers started to go through questioning when they were taking photos. One student there was working on a class assignment when police or private security personnel tried to confiscate his camera. It was a bizarre tyme for photographers then.

    Falcon

    --
    Should there be a Law?
    1. Re:photographing landmarks by MullerMn · · Score: 4, Funny

      It was a bizarre tyme for photographers then.

      But atleast it smelt nice.

  32. Re:24 hours by jimicus · · Score: 5, Funny

    There is a bill being debated in the US Congress right now to limit impoundment of laptops to 24 hours.

    And I'm sure that in order to back that up, they'll take a forwarding address from you and FedEx you the laptop immediately those 24 hours are up, lovingly packaged and at no further cost to the passenger, regardless of where you are in the world. And when FedEx loses a package (because no courier company in the whole of history has ever achieved a 0% loss rate), they'll chase FedEx up on your behalf, replacing the laptop for you if FedEx can't find it in a reasonable timespan.

    Regarding the data on the lost laptop, they'll almost certainly image it before they let it go anyway, so I'm sure they'll be only too happy to copy the image to another disk and ship that to you.

    And all of this will be done so quickly and efficiently you won't even miss it.