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The TSA's Selective Laptop Ban

schneier.com

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Re: The TSA's Selective Laptop Ban

#71

Post by phonon »

junto wrote: post #26
StavrosK wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hell? How did they know that?

Apparently he had absolutely no idea, but it completely freaked him out.

From my experience at Ben Gurion airport...security there has different stages. When you first walk in to the airport, even before you check in and get your ticket, some friendly attractive person will start chatting with you and ask about your trip. They will not identify themselves (or be dressed) as security. Your friend might very well have mentioned something to that person.

Later, when the more formal security process/interview starts, they might ask followup questions based on info they got from that earlier "interview".

Re: The TSA's Selective Laptop Ban

#72

Post by SamBam »

I'm interested in the idea that turning on your laptop somehow "proves" that the laptop isn't just a box for explosives.

Presumably the "on" test is considered sufficient both for a mid-2000s brick of a laptop, and a thin modern laptop like a 2016 MacBook. But you could pack a MacBook into a bulky laptop's body and have plenty of room to spare.

Re: The TSA's Selective Laptop Ban

#74

Post by AstralStorm »

paulajohnson wrote: post #58
rplst8 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So, suppose that someone said, "At some point we should just accept that ransoms will happen" and so simply stop supporting the FBI and let bad guys kidnap any family of billionaires whenever they want, and to have these billionaires start paying ransoms. No one is saying we shouldn't attempt to stop an attack that is known, or that we shouldn't investigate who carried out and authorized an attack and seek justice.…

> The more we realize we are responsible for our own well being, take responsibility [...] How, exactly, am I supposed to "take responsibility" for spotting someone with a hidden bomb when I get on an airplane?

Report credibly to the stewards. Also say why you think it is a bomb. Provide credentials.

Re: The TSA's Selective Laptop Ban

#75

Post by junto »

tps5 wrote: post #49
junto wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But El Al is also profiling passengers before they even reach the airport. They stop people on route and question them to gain any subtle clues as to whether people might be nervous or acting strangely. They know weird shit like who you've met after being in Israel. A gay friend of a friend went to Tel Aviv Pride, and was taken aside and asked why he'd chosen to sleep with an Arab as he was leaving the country.

Chances are that your friend embellished this story. People do that, often. Think about the absurd amount of effort required to know that one of the thousands of people going through that airport that day had sex with a man of Arab descent sometime in the past few days. I've had a few interviews entering and leaving Israel. It was a more pleasant experience than in the US because the security seemed engaged and effic…

I could be, but as @pavel_lishin said below, it is quite possible that the "Arab" guy was already of interest to the security services. It would make more sense.

Re: The TSA's Selective Laptop Ban

#76

Post by bogomipz »

lostboys67 wrote: post #25
sandworm101 wrote: post #5

Unlike all the other restrictions on material allowed in-flight recently, this ban only applies to specific airports/countries. One must ask why shoebomber or liquid explosive plots resulted in universal bans while this one is country-specific. Imho this is business and politics. This everyday safety mesure is being applied selectively in order to disadvantage some and advantage others. If ipads are a threat, ban the…

Or those airports have poor security or are at risk of penetration by bad actors.

The TSA itself was found to have had a failure rate of 95% two years ago during a security sting operation.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/07/tsa-fa...

Re: The TSA's Selective Laptop Ban

#77

Post by tzs »

junto wrote: post #33
nommm-nommm wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arguably taking your shoes off takes more time.

Depends how old the laptop is!

...and how your shoes are laced. I use Lock Laces [1] and I can take shoes off and put them back on in seconds now. Lock Laces effectively turn regular shoes into slip ons.

That wasn't actually why I got them. That was just a pleasant side effect. I got them because they make it easier to keep the ends of the laces from getting loose and into a bicycle chainring.

[1] https://www.locklaces.com

Re: The TSA's Selective Laptop Ban

#78

Post by bogomipz »

junto wrote: post #13
pieter1976 wrote: post #12

At some point we are going to have to realise that terrorists are always going to want to target aircraft and just live with it. This ban makes no sense because $BAD_GUY can just via some intermediate airport with their iPad Bomb. It's interesting that El Al has not decided to ban laptops (despite undoubtedly being a target) and, in fact, advises people not to put valuables in the hold: https://www.elal.com/en/Passen…

But El Al is also profiling passengers before they even reach the airport. They stop people on route and question them to gain any subtle clues as to whether people might be nervous or acting strangely. They know weird shit like who you've met after being in Israel. A gay friend of a friend went to Tel Aviv Pride, and was taken aside and asked why he'd chosen to sleep with an Arab as he was leaving the country.

I'm calling B.S on this story. I don't doubt your friend may have told you this but I sincerely doubt the veracity of the story itself. If either person, your friend or the person they had an encounter with were of significant enough interest to be watched by security services that fact wouldn't not have been shared with them.

Re: The TSA's Selective Laptop Ban

#79

Post by literallycancer »

phonon wrote: post #71
junto wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently he had absolutely no idea, but it completely freaked him out.

From my experience at Ben Gurion airport...security there has different stages. When you first walk in to the airport, even before you check in and get your ticket, some friendly attractive person will start chatting with you and ask about your trip. They will not identify themselves (or be dressed) as security. Your friend might very well have mentioned something to that person. Later, when the more formal security…

>From my experience at Ben Gurion airport...security there has different stages. When you first walk in to the airport, even before you check in and get your ticket, some friendly attractive person will start chatting with you and ask about your trip. They will not identify themselves (or be dressed) as security. Your friend might very well have mentioned something to that person.

This is interesting, where can I read more about this?

Re: The TSA's Selective Laptop Ban

#80

Post by russdpale »

paulajohnson wrote: post #58
rplst8 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So, suppose that someone said, "At some point we should just accept that ransoms will happen" and so simply stop supporting the FBI and let bad guys kidnap any family of billionaires whenever they want, and to have these billionaires start paying ransoms. No one is saying we shouldn't attempt to stop an attack that is known, or that we shouldn't investigate who carried out and authorized an attack and seek justice.…

> The more we realize we are responsible for our own well being, take responsibility [...] How, exactly, am I supposed to "take responsibility" for spotting someone with a hidden bomb when I get on an airplane?

You can always not fly! Seems silly to be so scared.
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