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Tips For Taking Your Laptop Into and Out of the US?
Posted by
timothy
on Thu Oct 09, 2008 02:30 PM
from the hug-a-tsa-agent-with-fervor-and-passion dept.
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?"
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Your Rights Online: FISA and Border Searches of Laptops 421 comments
With the recent attention to the DHS's draconian policy on laptop searches at borders, a blog post by Steven Bellovin from last month is worth wider discussion. Bellovin extrapolates from the DHS border policy on physical electronic devices and asks why authorities wouldn't push to extend it to electronic data transfers. "...it would seem to make little difference if the information is 'imported' into the US via a physical laptop or via a VPN, or for that matter by a Web connection. The right to search a laptop for information, then, is equivalent to the right to tap any and all international connections, without a warrant or probable cause. (More precisely, one always has a constitutional protection against 'unreasonable' search and seizure; the issue is what the definition of 'unreasonable' is.)"
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If you're that worried... (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? ;-)
Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, Insightful)
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Best Suggestion (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.?
Parent
Seriously (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.
Parent
Re:Seriously (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.
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, 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.
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (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.
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (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.
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, 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.
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, 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.
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:If you're that worried... (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.
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Re:If you're that worried... (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 . . .
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (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 [springerlink.com] 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).
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, 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.
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (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
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Known Your Adversary (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.
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.
Parent
Re:Rubber hose code cracking.... (Score:5, 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.
Parent
Just returned from Europe with no issues (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.
Parent
Re:Just returned from Europe with no issues (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
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Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, 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.
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Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, 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 [wikipedia.org] or rubber hose [wikipedia.org] 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).
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (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 [cnet.com] 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?)
Parent
Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, Insightful)
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.)
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Re:If you're that worried... (Score:5, Informative)
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 [wikipedia.org]) 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.
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don't take data across the border (Score:5, 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.
Short Answer (Score:5, Insightful)
You could. (Score:5, 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..
Well, who are you... (Score:5, Interesting)
Are you a middle eastern looking young male? A white male returning from Thailand? If so, be paranoid.
If not, no worries.
The Supreme Court agrees (Score:5, Informative)
Darned border search exception [wikipedia.org].
"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)
Parent
Let them try to decrypt it. (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.
Best defense (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.
Re:Best defense (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
My personal experience (Score:5, Insightful)
circumvention (Score:5, Insightful)
In other news.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Easy Solution (Score:5, Interesting)
Send it to your hotel DHL overnight before you leave, and do the same to get it home.
Problem solved.
rsync every *.jpg at icanhazcheezburger.com (Score:5, 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.
Theft in foreign country is a bigger concern (Score:5, 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.
Social engineering: Bring a baby (Score:5, 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.
Easy! (Score:5, Funny)
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!
Re:Put the dunce cap away (Score:5, 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.
Parent
Re:Put the dunce cap away (Score:5, 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.
Parent
Re:Put the dunce cap away (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.
Parent
Re:Put the dunce cap away (Score:5, 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.
Parent
Re:Put the tinfoil hat away (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.
Parent
Re:Boot to BSoD (Score:5, Interesting)
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Re:Boot to shell (Score:5, Informative)
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