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Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

cbc.ca

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Re: Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

#371

Post by Scoundreller »

dragonwriter wrote: post #327
mises wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's much easier for a policeman to demand the password to decrypt data when he has you in custody at customs than when it is searched by the mailman. You're confusing "not perfect" with "not good". There's an old saying: when outrunning a bear, you don't have to be the fastest guy, you just have to be faster than the slowest guy.

> Unless you are under an active investigation, the chances of your mailed laptop or phone being intercepted and searched are far, far less than if they are on your person at the border. Inbound international mail is also subject to search by customs, that doesn't just happen to stuff the owner carries across the border.

Just send it like most other things in this situation are sent: in pieces.

Re: Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

#372

Post by bitcoinmoney »

numakerg wrote: post #337
Benjamin_Dobell wrote: post #333

It's stuff like this that makes me want to build after-market privacy-oriented Samsung firmware, that at a low level (secondary bootloader) supports dual booting. By default you'd boot into the "non-private" environment. That way if customs asks to see your device, you simply boot it up and hand it over. Could make life a lot easier for lawyers, doctors, C-level executives etc. I should note, dual-booting Android pho…

Would this system come with plausible deniability? Also, does anything like this exist for desktop operating systems?

Yeah. You can install GRUB snd default load it to windows 10 fresh install. Put some dummy files in the desktop, make it cluttered with oictures of cats and articles about meditation. This might sound like a great idea maybe i should try it!!

Re: Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

#373

Post by tiglionabbit »

x0054 wrote: post #369

Next project: figure out how to add a fake user to my MacBook and only have the real HD / user boot if a key combo is placed. Apple should add users and this as an option if they care about security, to iOS.

They should show just one account, but give it two passwords: a real one, and one that secretly takes you to a different account that's also customizable.

Re: Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

#374

Post by lsiebert »

dmix wrote: post #154
sandworm101 wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't use american definitions of "probably cause". Canada is a different country and defines probably cause very differently. Canada has a different relationship with its boarders than America. The physical scale is are different. Sovereignty is different. Canada's "charter rights" are different than american "constitutional" rights. Canada placed greater trust in individual enforcement officers and, generally, does…

Probable cause is a core part of the Canadian charter: > 3) based on reasonable and probable grounds to believe that an offence has been committed and there is evidence to be found at the place to be search. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/rfc-dlc/ccrf-ccdl/chec... This is not some unique American concept. Otherwise I don't see what point you're trying to make...

Though Canada's constitution has this weird ability to suspend fundamental rights.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_33_of_the_Canadian_Cha...

Re: Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

#375

Post by tiglionabbit »

jrandm wrote: post #367
jason0597 wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because border police have authority

Could you elaborate on that thought? Individuals also have the authority to assert their rights, one of which in Canada is the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure[0]. R v Fearon[1] places limitations on this exact type of search one could easily argue aren't met given the descriptions of these searches I've read. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_8_of_the_Canadian_Char... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org…

You don't have any rights at the border. The moment they decide to search you they will ask for your passwords. If you don't give it, they'll detain you until you do.

Re: Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

#376

Post by petre »

vbezhenar wrote: post #180
dontbenebby wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was a grad student I worried about this, since I was required to keep study participant data and student data confidential. Sounds like this lawyer arrived at the same plan I did: Refuse the request, file a lawsuit, and contact the media when released to shame the government that saw fit to violate my rights.

Encrypt the data (probably easiest way is to use encrypted 7z archive), memorize the password, upload the encrypted data into any cloud storage (e.g. Google Drive) and don't care about disclosing anything on your devices.

7zip uses a vulnerable RNG. It was posted here a while ago.

Re: Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

#377

Post by tiglionabbit »

imroot wrote: post #366

I really can't be the only person who travels internationally with a burner phone and burner laptop. I'll generally wipe them both sitting at the airport waiting for my flight home, just so that I can have the e-passport application up by the time that I land and go through customs. (Admittedly, I should just upgrade my TSA Precheck to Global Entry, but, I'm not even sure that I want to go through with that process).

When I was working at Google I had to go through some training videos that explained that you should never bring corporate devices across the border for this very reason -- that they could be searched, thus breaking the NDA. They'll ship you a clean laptop instead.

Re: Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

#378

Post by gingabriska »

belorn wrote: post #228
vbezhenar wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Encrypt the data (probably easiest way is to use encrypted 7z archive), memorize the password, upload the encrypted data into any cloud storage (e.g. Google Drive) and don't care about disclosing anything on your devices.

For work data such as the lawyer in the article I would recommend go one step further and not having the password in the first place. You can achieve this by for example having the server admin at work remotely unlock the device at request, have hardware tokens at trusted locations, or software that provide similar effect. No amount of $5 wrench or legal threats can change the situation as it not in your hand to give…

How 5 dollar wrench won't work in this case? Isn't administrator going to follow his order, so he can made to call the administrator and reset keys etc..?

Re: Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

#379

Post by ivl »

Personal computers (and cell phones) contain more information than people could have ever imagined when polices around searches at borders became a thing. It's really unfortunate that there's no desire to respect that. You could find more from someones smartphone than you could via a search of their home with a warrant.

I'm pretty glad I travel a lot and can afford a second phone as a total burner that I keep nothing on, and a new m.2 SSD and a clean install for my laptop. It's saved so much hassle, as the one time I was asked to look at them, it was an easy "Sure officer, go right ahead. I hope you're quick though, there's nothing on either."

Re: Canada Border Services seizes lawyer's phone, laptop for not sharing passwords

#380

Post by zzo38computer »

tiglionabbit wrote: post #375
jrandm wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you elaborate on that thought? Individuals also have the authority to assert their rights, one of which in Canada is the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure[0]. R v Fearon[1] places limitations on this exact type of search one could easily argue aren't met given the descriptions of these searches I've read. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_8_of_the_Canadian_Char... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org…

You don't have any rights at the border. The moment they decide to search you they will ask for your passwords. If you don't give it, they'll detain you until you do.

What if you do not know the password for the computer (e.g. if you are transporting someone else's computer, or because it is damaged and need to be repaired), or if it is time locked?
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