[PLUG] script to make my laptop 'safe' for int'l travel?

Rich Shepard rshepard at appl-ecosys.com
Sun Feb 17 22:10:23 UTC 2008


On Sun, 17 Feb 2008, Kristian Erik Hermansen wrote:

> Yeah, how about just moving all your dot-files into an encrypted
> directory?  That should probably do it.  Move them back out when you
> return.  You could mount /home as encrypted if you set it up that way.
> Full disk encryption can be done in a few hours time if you really want. 
> Pull out the disk and store is somewhere else in a locked container to
> separate it from the laptop perhaps?  Also enable a BIOS password and GRUB
> password.  That way, they would need to know (or reset) the BIOS password,
> circumvent the GRUB boot, and then somehow try to login.  If full disk
> encryption is used, they can't just pull out the disk and sniff the
> contents...

Kristian,

   While these are sound technical solutions, they virtually guarantee the
confiscation of the laptop. The Homeland Security/Customs agents assume that
you are hiding something of Major Importance; else, why would you encrypt
anything? No, the above won't work as intended.

   The goal is to pass inspection without raising any eyebrows and bringing
the computer back home again.

   Not knowing what they might be looking for -- other than web sites you
accessed while out of the country, for whatever reason they think that's
important -- dumping ~/.mozilla is probably all that's needed. Unless, of
course, having no records at all is reason to be suspicious.

Rich

-- 
Richard B. Shepard, Ph.D.               |  Integrity            Credibility
Applied Ecosystem Services, Inc.        |            Innovation
<http://www.appl-ecosys.com>     Voice: 503-667-4517      Fax: 503-667-8863



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