How to Defeat U.S. Border Agents from Viewing Your Notebook and Your Private Data

[forumguy]

Originally posted by: SludgeFactory
Just go through there with your laptop in a carry-on buried beneath a penis pump, assorted cockrings, nipple clamps, a gerbil wheel, and a bunch of giant black dildos, shock and awe baby. If you're really lucky, maybe they'll sort through your stash and hold each item up so everybody in line behind you can see them.

Can you send me your stash so I can try next time I'm flying out? 😀

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Try this.

 

[jjones]

Or you could be organized and store sensitive data on encrypted files only available through a secure connection to your ftp. When you get where you're going, download what you need. That's what I do.

This not only prevents customs having access but also, should you ever lose you laptop, you don't have to panic about some thief having access to confidential information.

 

[BladeVenom]

Originally posted by: forumguy
Even if you have your HDD fully encrypted with something like TrueCrypt, they can still pull you aside and force you to power and login (unlock) the system for them which totally bypasses the encryption.

Truecrypt doesn't have full boot encryption. You can encrypt files, partitions, and drives, but not your boot drive, unless they've changed it since the last time I tried it. So you can power up and login in to a Windows account without revealing your Truecrypt password.

They can't make you give them your password. We still have a few rights left.

Just make Goatse your background screen. No one will be interested in looking around on your laptop after that.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: BladeVenom

Originally posted by: forumguy
Even if you have your HDD fully encrypted with something like TrueCrypt, they can still pull you aside and force you to power and login (unlock) the system for them which totally bypasses the encryption.

Truecrypt doesn't have full boot encryption. You can encrypt files, partitions, and drives, but not your boot drive, unless they've changed it since the last time I tried it. So you can power up and login in to a Windows account without revealing your Truecrypt password.

They can't make you give them your password. We still have a few rights left.

Just make Goatse your background screen. No one will be interested in looking around on your laptop after that.

I don't know about that last one. They might think your some kind of pedophile or something and be further inclined to search through your laptop.

 

[SirStev0]

pretty good idea. The length this country goes to sometimes in order to invade privacy is absurd.

 

[forumguy]

Originally posted by: BladeVenom

Originally posted by: forumguy
Even if you have your HDD fully encrypted with something like TrueCrypt, they can still pull you aside and force you to power and login (unlock) the system for them which totally bypasses the encryption.

Truecrypt doesn't have full boot encryption. You can encrypt files, partitions, and drives, but not your boot drive, unless they've changed it since the last time I tried it. So you can power up and login in to a Windows account without revealing your Truecrypt password.

They can't make you give them your password. We still have a few rights left.

Just make Goatse your background screen. No one will be interested in looking around on your laptop after that.

TrueCrypt 6.0 now supports full drive encryption including boot drives. I recently encrypted two notebook HDDs with full encryption -- the drive appears as one raw partition if you mount it on another computer. Another great new feature is that the encryption/decryption algorithm is now parallelized to run on multiple processors.

 

[spidey07]

Most security professional understand (no conspiracy theory) that the US gubment has keys to all public encryption available if they need to call upon it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: forumguy
Alternatively, you could easily have a small spare HDD that has Linux installed. Replace the HDD with this one before getting to the airport. Many people nowadays have external drives so having them in your suite case is nothing out of the ordinary.

The airlines have no control over what agents do at the border. This is totally government enforced.

Are agents really that stupid? I would wager that 98% of them are clueless when it comes to computing so simply taking out of the drive would do it and only requires the effort of removing two screws.

They could still mirror the drive in your suitcase if they wanted to.

I'd just load Linux on a spare drive with none of my personal data on it and use that when traveling...next time I'm traveling outside the country I'll probably do this.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Most security professional understand (no conspiracy theory) that the US gubment has keys to all public encryption available if they need to call upon it.

:laugh:

 

[TechAZ]

Uh...has anyone here even ever crossed a border patrol checkpoint? Too funny if you believe this will happen even more than once in a million times.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: TechAZ
Uh...has anyone here even ever crossed a border patrol checkpoint? Too funny if you believe this will happen even more than once in a million times.

Yeah, like 12-14 times in the past two years. You?

 

[TechAZ]

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: TechAZ
Uh...has anyone here even ever crossed a border patrol checkpoint? Too funny if you believe this will happen even more than once in a million times.

Yeah, like 12-14 times in the past two years. You?

Same. Been to San Diego a couple times via Interstate 8 going from Phoenix, AZ. There's 3 checkpoints along that Interstate on the way to San Diego and 2 on the way back. Also went a couple times last year.

How intensive were the checkpoints for you? Was their questioning of "Are you an American citizen" pretty invasive? :laugh:

EDIT: Actually I've been through Border Patrol checkpoints approximately 40 times all together. There's also a checkpoint in Arizona on the way to Organ Pipe National near the Mexican border. The most intensive search I've ever seen is truck drivers needing to open the back of their rig so they can see if illegals are stuffed in there.

I have never had anything more than a 2 second stop for them to ask me if I was a citizen. No opening of my trunk, no asking for ID, nothing.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: TechAZ
Uh...has anyone here even ever crossed a border patrol checkpoint? Too funny if you believe this will happen even more than once in a million times.

but, but, but!

I read it on the Intarweb!!!

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: forumguy
Shoving things up your ass to get across the border has probably been tried so many times that the border agents probably could tell from the way you walking towards them. Who knows the number of things agents have seen hidden rectally!

Your funny walking would then put you at risk of a rectal search!

I want someone to get through security with a plastic butt plug, but they have to act very obvious that something is in their ass. "No, sir! Nothing here"

Of course it has to be someone who would enjoy a thorough cavity search. Can we get mugs to do it? :laugh:

Still, imagine the hilarity when the agents see a butt plug when they go to search you 😛

 

[Eeezee]

There is a much easier solution to all of this

1) Have a linux partition, have some basic junk in there (some PDFs, some presentations, some papers you wrote in 5th grade, whatever)
2) Have a storage partition for all of your music, movies, and pron
3) Change your menu.lst in grub so that any other boot partitions (mac or windows) don't show up
4) Make sure that your other partitions are not automatically mounted (this will be by default, but in case you modified your startup script)
5) Don't show the border agent how to mount partitions, chances are they don't know how to use linux

Done - you cooperate, they see you have a basic linux partition with open office and whatnot installed, and they are none the wiser regarding the other unmounted partitions. No need to encrypt them. They won't bother imaging your drive because there's no reason to suspect you. You were cooperative and showed them everything they wanted to see.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: forumguy
Shoving things up your ass to get across the border has probably been tried so many times that the border agents probably could tell from the way you walking towards them. Who knows the number of things agents have seen hidden rectally!

Your funny walking would then put you at risk of a rectal search!

So, who were you before you were banned?

I would assume that you've had so many things stuck up your ass, you'd learn how to walk normal by now.

 

[irishScott]

Like someone else said, encrypted SSH connection to a home fileserver.

This is why I'm saving up for a 2 computer system. A nice powerful desktop that contains all of my personal data and acts as an FTP server, with an ultra-portable tablet I can travel with.

 

[forumguy]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: TechAZ
Uh...has anyone here even ever crossed a border patrol checkpoint? Too funny if you believe this will happen even more than once in a million times.

but, but, but!

I read it on the Intarweb!!!

Here is the actual U.S. Appeals court ruling earlier this year that allows agents to search any of your electronics devices for any reason including no reason whatsoever.

http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca...8168188257432005AC9B8/$file/0650581.pdf?openelement

"Therefore, we are satisfied that reasonable suspicion is
not needed for customs officials to search a laptop or other
personal electronic storage devices at the border."

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: forumguy

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: TechAZ
Uh...has anyone here even ever crossed a border patrol checkpoint? Too funny if you believe this will happen even more than once in a million times.

but, but, but!

I read it on the Intarweb!!!

Here is the actual U.S. Appeals court ruling earlier this year that allows agents to search any of your electronics devices for any reason including no reason whatsoever.

http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca...8168188257432005AC9B8/$file/0650581.pdf?openelement

"Therefore, we are satisfied that reasonable suspicion is
not needed for customs officials to search a laptop or other
personal electronic storage devices at the border."

Have you ever traveled out of country? Going through US customs is a walk in the park compared to others outside of touristy places.

 

[Newbian]

I hear the best way to prevent this is to store all your porn by printing it out ahead of time and then sending the images to your home so you can rescan them back into your computer later.

This is the only safe way....:roll:

 

[CrazyLazy]

Originally posted by: Newbian
I hear the best way to prevent this is to store all your porn by printing it out ahead of time and then sending the images to your home so you can rescan them back into your computer later.

This is the only safe way....:roll:

But shipping costs on that would be a bitch. Not to mention scanning in the movies back in frame by frame...

 

[forumguy]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: forumguy

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: TechAZ
Uh...has anyone here even ever crossed a border patrol checkpoint? Too funny if you believe this will happen even more than once in a million times.

but, but, but!

I read it on the Intarweb!!!

Here is the actual U.S. Appeals court ruling earlier this year that allows agents to search any of your electronics devices for any reason including no reason whatsoever.

http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca...8168188257432005AC9B8/$file/0650581.pdf?openelement

"Therefore, we are satisfied that reasonable suspicion is
not needed for customs officials to search a laptop or other
personal electronic storage devices at the border."

Have you ever traveled out of country? Going through US customs is a walk in the park compared to others outside of touristy places.

I am on H1-B visa and travel through the U.S. border all the time. Yeah, this ruling is worrisome. BTW, this ruling applies to any individual citizen or not.

 

[Newbian]

Originally posted by: CrazyLazy

Originally posted by: Newbian
I hear the best way to prevent this is to store all your porn by printing it out ahead of time and then sending the images to your home so you can rescan them back into your computer later.

This is the only safe way....:roll:

But shipping costs on that would be a bitch. Not to mention scanning in the movies back in frame by frame...

Better then letting them copy all my good stuff.... 😉

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Wow that does not make sense. They would just take your laptop and your hard drive. Also, you can say that you're not going to give them your password. Case in point, last year there was a guy stopped at the Canadian border who had child porn. Yeah, I know. He refused to give the password and the judge couldn't force him to. So just encrypt your drive with Truecrypt and tell them that you forgot it or the password is your own property.