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Taking Hard Disk with data overseas

StinkyPinky

StinkyPinky

Diamond Member
I'm going overseas and want to take two hard disks with some....liberated data on it with me. The problem is that I'm paranoid about customs. What if they spot the hard disks and then inquire what data is on them? Or, even worse, check them out.

Paranoia or a well placed fear? Or just simple delusion?

Oh yeah, and do those airport scanners damage computer gear such as ram and hard disks?
 
Originally posted by: StinkyPinky
I'm going overseas and want to take two hard disks with some....liberated data on it with me. The problem is that I'm paranoid about customs. What if they spot the hard disks and then inquire what data is on them? Or, even worse, check them out.

Paranoia or a well placed fear? Or just simple delusion?

Oh yeah, and do those airport scanners damage computer gear such as ram and hard disks?
Click to expand...


what kind of data are you talking about, and where exactly are you going?

if you feel that you had to ask, i say don't risk it.
 
Originally posted by: StinkyPinky
I'm going overseas and want to take two hard disks with some....liberated data on it with me. The problem is that I'm paranoid about customs. What if they spot the hard disks and then inquire what data is on them? Or, even worse, check them out.

Paranoia or a well placed fear? Or just simple delusion?

Oh yeah, and do those airport scanners damage computer gear such as ram and hard disks?
Click to expand...

AFAIK they cannot acces your data without a warrent, and unless you're a wanted person they're not going to.

The scanners will not harm your data equipment.
 
I know from exprience that some foreign customs agancies can be very strict and not at all concerned with your privacy. A coleague of mine uses encryption to secure his sensitive files (contact lists, business & marketing plans, etc.). He was randomly stopped at Heathrow and was asked to power up his laptop for inspection. When password protected files and folders were found, he was told to reveal their contents. He decribed it to me as neither a request, a question, nor a demand. It was basically implied that for him and his laptop to enter the country, he would need to show the contents of the encrypted files. So he did...

BTW, this was pre-9/11.
 
They aren't going to be the least bit interested unless they already suspect you of a crime or smuggling. However, you may be asked to power-up a laptop or demonstrate that the equipment works like it is intended.

There should be no interference to data on Hard drives by airport scanners. However, flash memory may be corrupted by long-haul flights (due to gamma radiation that would normally be blocked by the atmosphere). This is supposed to be a very rare phenomenon, but I've had a couple of friends lose their digital photos on flights back from holiday (could have been user error, or a different fault - but who knows).
 
Originally posted by: biostud666
Originally posted by: StinkyPinky
I'm going overseas and want to take two hard disks with some....liberated data on it with me. The problem is that I'm paranoid about customs. What if they spot the hard disks and then inquire what data is on them? Or, even worse, check them out.

Paranoia or a well placed fear? Or just simple delusion?

Oh yeah, and do those airport scanners damage computer gear such as ram and hard disks?
Click to expand...

AFAIK they cannot acces your data without a warrent, and unless you're a wanted person they're not going to.

The scanners will not harm your data equipment.
Click to expand...

You are mistaken about requiring a warrant to inspect data.
 
Originally posted by: TechnoPro
I know from exprience that some foreign customs agancies can be very strict and not at all concerned with your privacy. A coleague of mine uses encryption to secure his sensitive files (contact lists, business & marketing plans, etc.). He was randomly stopped at Heathrow and was asked to power up his laptop for inspection. When password protected files and folders were found, he was told to reveal their contents. He decribed it to me as neither a request, a question, nor a demand. It was basically implied that for him and his laptop to enter the country, he would need to show the contents of the encrypted files. So he did...

BTW, this was pre-9/11.
Click to expand...

use hidden and encrypted files on a hidden partition? or is that even possible?
 
Originally posted by: TechnoPro
Originally posted by: biostud666
Originally posted by: StinkyPinky
I'm going overseas and want to take two hard disks with some....liberated data on it with me. The problem is that I'm paranoid about customs. What if they spot the hard disks and then inquire what data is on them? Or, even worse, check them out.

Paranoia or a well placed fear? Or just simple delusion?

Oh yeah, and do those airport scanners damage computer gear such as ram and hard disks?
Click to expand...

AFAIK they cannot acces your data without a warrent, and unless you're a wanted person they're not going to.

The scanners will not harm your data equipment.
Click to expand...

You are mistaken about requiring a warrant to inspect data.
Click to expand...

yep, it ain't the US. there are even very strict laws on what technology you can use/bring into the country. I've traveled alot overseas for business.
 
Originally posted by: TechnoKid
Originally posted by: TechnoPro
I know from exprience that some foreign customs agancies can be very strict and not at all concerned with your privacy. A coleague of mine uses encryption to secure his sensitive files (contact lists, business & marketing plans, etc.). He was randomly stopped at Heathrow and was asked to power up his laptop for inspection. When password protected files and folders were found, he was told to reveal their contents. He decribed it to me as neither a request, a question, nor a demand. It was basically implied that for him and his laptop to enter the country, he would need to show the contents of the encrypted files. So he did...

BTW, this was pre-9/11.
Click to expand...

use hidden and encrypted files on a hidden partition? or is that even possible?
Click to expand...

There are lots of ways of "smuggling" data. My associate uses encrpytion to protect his IP and business dealings from competitors and crooks. The objective is not to hide but to secure.

As for hiding, there is always steganography.
 
Upload your files to an FTP server. When you arrive at your destination download them. It sounds like you are trying to circumvent some laws.

When going through customs in any country, including the U.S., you are subject to search and seizure of anything they wish to look at or they deem illegal.

Don't fvck with customs. I saw a lady going through Canadian customs one time who was bringing in a whole bunch of fabric. The customs agent asked her countless times if she had anything to declare, this while all the bolts of fabric were laying on the table in front of her. She insisted, every time, that she had nothing to declare. Finally, the agent called in some cops to lead her away for "further interrogation."
 
Burn your porn on a multi-session cdrom, burn a music track or two on the same cd. Put it in your music cd holder/binder while traveling.
They will not ever check your music cds, but if they do, play the music tracks in your cd player for them and tell them "see, its real music"
 
Sorry I wasn't clear! I am bringing the data *into* the US from overseas. I worded that very badly. The data consists of stuff like TV eps, maybe a few apps incl one owned by the worlds richest man, and perhaps a few movies. I wont be bringing in any porn. I'd say 20-30 gigs of liberated data all up.

Bad idea?
 
I'd say no, they don't really care enough to check your comp thuroughly, at least that is what i have experienced every time w/ my laptop. All they wanted me to do was to turn it on and show them it wasn't a bomb. Also you could probably say that it was all legal, you got the TV stuff from tvo, it was your copy of xp etc. They don't look for what they don't expect.
 
Originally posted by: KlitschBeiExitus
I'd say no, they don't really care enough to check your comp thuroughly, at least that is what i have experienced every time w/ my laptop. All they wanted me to do was to turn it on and show them it wasn't a bomb. Also you could probably say that it was all legal, you got the TV stuff from tvo, it was your copy of xp etc. They don't look for what they don't expect.
Click to expand...

I'd just be bringing the hard disks, not the whole pc. So I'm not sure how I am meant to power them up to show it isn't a bomb. You would think customs would have some IT guy these days to verify that type of stuff.
 
I just brought in a whole PC from India a few weeks back - it was one that I built a couple of years back and taken to India for my brother. He's going to Anderson in the fall, so I figured he wouldn't need it any more and decided to bring it back. Never had any problems either way...
 
Originally posted by: athithi
I just brought in a whole PC from India a few weeks back - it was one that I built a couple of years back and taken to India for my brother. He's going to Anderson in the fall, so I figured he wouldn't need it any more and decided to bring it back. Never had any problems either way...
Click to expand...


Yeah, but did your pc contain any dodgy data?

Call me paranoid, but I don't want some burly looking customs dude giving me the old colon handshake.
 
Ive taken my laptop back and forth a dozen times to germany and back and they never inquired about it. Only "turn it on, turn it off" deal.
 
I've never had a problem with customes... this was pre 9-11, though. on a flight from Rome to Berlin in '99, they allowed me to carry a sword onto the plane :-/
 
Originally posted by: StinkyPinky
Sorry I wasn't clear! I am bringing the data *into* the US from overseas. I worded that very badly. The data consists of stuff like TV eps, maybe a few apps incl one owned by the worlds richest man, and perhaps a few movies. I wont be bringing in any porn. I'd say 20-30 gigs of liberated data all up.

Bad idea?
Click to expand...

Don't worry about it - I travel in/out of the USA many times a year, and have never had a problem. I carry about 400CDs worth of MP3 with me, in addition to 30DVDs worth of TV shows and movies AVI. I do own all the originals but they don't know that and have never stopped me going into some of the strictest countries ie like China, Singapore, Korea, Japan, UK & the rest of Europe.
 
Originally posted by: LeadMagnet
Originally posted by: StinkyPinky
Sorry I wasn't clear! I am bringing the data *into* the US from overseas. I worded that very badly. The data consists of stuff like TV eps, maybe a few apps incl one owned by the worlds richest man, and perhaps a few movies. I wont be bringing in any porn. I'd say 20-30 gigs of liberated data all up.

Bad idea?
Click to expand...

Don't worry about it - I travel in/out of the USA many times a year, and have never had a problem. I carry about 400CDs worth of MP3 with me, in addition to 30DVDs worth of TV shows and movies AVI. I do own all the originals but they don't know that and have never stopped me going into some of the strictest countries ie like China, Singapore, Korea, Japan, UK & the rest of Europe.
Click to expand...

Same experience here, though I use 3-5 HDs to cart my stuff around. I get stopped and searched every other time I come back into the US from Japan but they are searching for food, not illegal data. I have heard of a friend being stopped and almost fined coming in from HK but that was due to having multiple copies of pirated cds/dvds (he did sell them on campus so I guess they were right).
 
yeah. you are paranoid. put down the crackpipe. Ship the stuff home ups overnight or something and it'll never even get a second look by customs. I have friends that fly trans atlantic with marijuana :roll: and they never seem to have any problems... wtf are you worried about....?
 
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