Legal firm to suggest to their clients that their next laptop purchase is made by the firm. Firm 'loans' laptop to client on a permanent basis. Client then claims to customs "this is my attorney/solicitor's laptop", thereby preventing a search.

I may trademark this ;)

don't go to, or through, the US.

Mind you, there's little doubt that the NuLaborians are currently working up a UK version of this.

The US now has a new national anthem;

"Paranoid"

Before you get to the airport, put you hard drive in a pre-franked Jiffy bag.

The last bit in the pdf document states:

"F. No Private Right Created

This document is an internal policy statement of CBP and does not create any rights,

privileges, or benefits for any person or party."

That means that if anything they do in their 'policy' is unconstitutional it can be challenged in court.

Could it be a coincidence that my company recently rolled out 256-bit full-HDD encryption?

Interestingly nowhere on that document does it state that they can require an individual to hand over their encryption keys. Good luck to any customs official trying to swipe data and break the key - methinks the company would rather put any unfortunate employee right back on a return flight..

"...I can put my laptop in a giant envelope with a stamp, and they can't search it?"

Hmmm, I wonder if Apple knew about this before the Macbook Air was released? I mean - it's even in the advert!

that I can't wait for someone to file a lawsuit......

Uh, I suspect that "relies" should be pronounced "rellies" and is intended to be a corruption of "relatives". So the poster is obviously wanting to go to the USA (one trip) to accomplish two goals: a) visit Disneyland, in California; and b) visit his relatives, in Florida.

As far as sensitive data on laptops is concerned: don't keep it locally. SSH? VPNs? Are you seriously telling me you can't take a secured laptop and find a cheap, high-speed internet connection, and get all your data over an encrypted remote session? I understand some of these business users may want to work during the long trip over - TrueCrypt? 256-bit AES-encrypted folders hidden invisibly within other 256-bit AES-encrypted folders? Come on now.

Suddenly the mac Air book in an envelope ad seems prophetic

- Paris because she can empty my bag anytime

from the pdf referenced:

"Translation and Decryption. Officers may encounter information in

documents or electronic devices that is in a foreign language and/or

encrypted. To assist CBP in determining the meaning of such

information, CBP may seek translation and/or decryption assistance from

other Federal agencies or entities. Officers may seek such assistance

absent individualized suspicion. Requests for translation and decryption

assistance shall be documented."

Doesn't say you have to provide decryption keys, so if the entire HDD is encrypted they either have to copy it and try and decrypt it themselves or send your laptop off to be decrypted.

"Officers may detain documents and electronic

devices, or copies thereof, for a reasonable period of time to perform a thorough

border search."

No idea what a reasonable period of time might be? At any rate, with sufficiently strong encryption (and nothing of importance on it) it would quickly become a huge pain in the arse to deal with. Encrypt every cheap flash drive you have in your bag with the strongest system you can find and tie them up with red tape (documenting their requests for encryption) :)

Of course they could decide to take your computer anyway :(

"Original documents and devices should only be transmitted when

necessary to render the requested assistance."

Is this the US government way of forcing people into "cloud" computing?

...surely the terrorists won't carry laptops,but will just email the stuff to themselves and pick it up once they're across the border. So what, may I ask, is the point?!?

Liking the franked mail idea though. :)

Surely the only reason people are exercised about this is that they have forgotten that the USA is a foreign country. They are different from us. Hostile, to a degree. They will spy on us and would keep us out if they could. Once we remember this and behave accordingly, it's not so bad.

. . .and the amazing thing is that some of these people can even breathe. The level of sheer and utter stupidity I saw, working at TSA, was breath-taking.

And Rules ?? Rules are for the Little People (. . .and contractors. . .)

My tip - do whatever the border patrol police say!!

They're scary scary people who full body x-rayed purely because I took a while taking my belt off (it's too wide for the loops so gets stuck). Think they're the only people in America who don't say 'have a nice day'.

Makes you wonder if 'The land of the free' actually exists anymore... so much for civil liberties and privacy.

Just another reason to avoid the US.

And what if you have one of those diplomatic passport thingies? Or are they easily cloned and useless too or just no good either even if they are genuine.

And what is to stop a malcontent putting anything onto a device, whenever it is away at the Doctor's. Bugger all, I suppose.

My company (or to be specific, the company that employs me, and who for reasons of myself not getting a talking to shall remain nameless) has already briefed us on the new rules on this and set out guidelines for what kind of data we are allowed to bring with us physically when we travel.

Unsurprisingly anything that can be of any value at all now resides on a network location that we have to establish a secure connection to every time we wish to access it.

Thank god terrorists arn't that smart eh?

You forget the way these arses work. First they copy off the entire contents of your harddrive. then they wipe the harddrive. then they return the machine to you. so much for your encryption.

" " I always wanted to take my kids to Disneyland and visit me relies in Florida, but that has now gone out the window."

Well, you would need to do two trips, Disneyland isn't in Florida."

he didnt say it was.

Americans used to make fun of "Papers please" and all those jokes about communist border guards?

Hrmmmm....

I certainly hope that any business traveler with sense will follow the guidance that only critical data for your current needs should be stored on laptops, all other data must be stored on company network storage ONLY. I know of many companies who have this policy. Plus, most offfer dialup or VPN or both to get to that data.

I know I would only be allowed to have documents I need for the flight on my laptop. I think driving will now be approved as the prefered method of interstate travel.

Don't go there in the first place... Works for me.

Besides the war on terror has already won... By the terrorists.

This is just political manhandling.

read again. not if the envelope is in your possesion. It only counts whilst the mail is in transit with a mail carrier (not courier).

Of course if you tell them your computer is in your head, then mentally blanking out customs / immigration could turn out to be all part of the border service - and even better - its FREE

Paris, 'cos she doesn't need to have her brain blanked out

by Royal Mail / US Postal service between the UK and the US.

In an envelope.

And I suppose you expect to be able to use this laptop upon receipt!

Right.

Gotta admire your optimism / large bank balance / fondness for jigsaw puzzles.

"I always wanted to take my kids to Disneyland and visit me relies in Florida, but that has now gone out the window."

so, just because the border cops *may* search your laptop your not gonna take your kids on a holiday to Florida ? that's the most lame excuse i have heard yet for not taking the kids on holiday, at least blame the credit crunch...... forget euro Disney anyway, for what it costs, its not much more to go to Florida...

ether leave the laptop at home while you went on holiday, or remove data you don't want anyone else to see...

the whole issue is pathetic, if they want to search your laptop, let them. I can see it may be a issue for a business traveler, but if it is going to be a issue for anyone seeing the data, don't keep it on the computer..... download it when you get your destination !!!

mines the one with the purple gloves hanging out the pockets