FYI: Customs can now search laptop files while crossing...

[NSG]

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled (3-0) that US Customs can search your laptop files if you are crossing the international border. In this case, it was about whether Customs can look for kiddie porn on the laptop.

Court Document (http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/D4958BAAF34B2292882571B500580F96/$file/0410648.pdf?openelement)

This precedent is the start of a slippery slope, and here's an insightful comment from a techie forum:

But in the end you're going to do yourself in with your attempts to protect yourself. If they can't get at your files to see that you're free of child porn, they're going to get upset, and they're going to make things difficult for you. They could prevent you from crossing, impound your laptop, and possibly even detain you.

Meanwhile, someone who is *actually* smuggling in illicit data simply has to:
1) Encrypt/obfuscate the data, so it's not obvious what that data is.
2) Make it look mundane... hide it in the windows swap file maybe?
3) Gladly offer up full access to the laptop when asked. Customs will probably not bother with a deep search, since it's "obvious" that the smuggler has nothing to hide. They're too busy trying to get figure what to do with the other guy who won't give up the BIOS password to his laptop anyway.


The best suggestion I have is if you are crossing any US borders with sensitive data, like photos of your grow... Check out TrueCrypt (http://www.truecrypt.org/)

Anyways as muggles says, stay safe and watch your six!

-NSG :joint3:

[Agent-Smith]

nice post NSG. :teeth:

[LordOvertoke]

thanks bro, it's good to see you posting again. :)

LO

[Papi]

No worrys here, all my porn is college age and above. It might be embarrassing though if they wanted me to explain the hot lesbians wearing cat make-up :teeth:

[OneLegUp]

NSG..sorry but this is anything but a precedence...

For decades...the government has always had the right to search anything and everything that has crossed international borders, going or coming... This includes any mail, any packages whether through UPS/USPS/FedX etc and if travelling..your ass, your luggage etc...

This is why I laugh when I hear people howl about the NSA doing emails or intercepting calls that have an international origin or destination...

The government has ALWAYS had the right to search, review etc...when dealing with international travel etc...

To believe a laptop is or does provide a zone of safety is a foolish assumption...

Hell you bring a sealed letter or gift across a border...they can search it......

obviously the person got busted with contraband and tried using the 4th amendment..doesn't apply....... and you know your in serious trouble when the 9th says so...

and by the way..this applies to ALL countries I've ever travelled to... so don't even think it's just a USA thing...

[Bram]

I was under the impression that all mail under 28 grams needed to have permission from the recipient before customs was allowed to open it?

[OneLegUp]

Bram... we know for fact they open mail with a couple paks of seeds in it...... those certainly weigh far less than an ounce/28 grams...

It's likely anything below 28 grams needn't have it's contents declared on documents for customs..... that could be what your thinking about

Like I said previously.. if they can ask you to drop your pants or lift your skirt for cavity searches... they can and do........ Nothing is unopenable when crossing international lines....

[ViRedd]

Nothing is unopenable when crossing international lines....
I believe one doesn't have to "cross" international lines. Unless I'm mistaken, one's person and luggage can be searched without probable cause even while just standing inside an international airport. LAX for example.

Vi

[Alaska]

One hady way around the computer side of this is the program drivecrypt.

It allows users to have two operating systems on one comp, which are loaded with different passwords, and invisible to each other. This prog encrypts your entire hard disk, and deencrpts to ram on the fly as you pull info from your hard disk.

One could type in the "clean" OS password, let them look, and be on your way

hth

A

[NSG]

No need to run two operating systems when truecrypt just makes an invisible partition. Sounds unnecessarily complicated when all you have to do is drag and drop instead of installing another OS.


OneLegUp
NSG..sorry but this is anything but a precedence...


Understood, and my intention of posting was not to complain but to serve as a warning to those who might fall victim to something like this; perhaps you or I knew, but someone else here didn't. Then I suggested an easy way to plausibly hide it. Giving up your encryption key might still fall under protection from the 5th amendment. As long as they don't declare you an enemy combatant..... ;)

-NSG :joint3:

[Alaska]

NSG, just to clarify, you don't have to install another OS. Drivecrypt makes a copy of your windows OS, and if you are forced udner duress to give up your password, you can easily give them the one that leads to the OS that does not contain any sensitive data, while your real encryption pw/key and info is safe, and the aggressor thinks he has your info

A

[Alaska]

Also, since drivecrpyt encrypts your whole HD and decrptys it as you use it, you neve have to put your key in after bootup, and all your info is safe, not just what you have put in a special file

A