I'm hoping that manufactures will start building a plausible deniability user profile you can log into while leaving your actual profile encrypted, appearing to be slack space. This kind of thuggery seems to be getting more common.
Ex-Mozilla CTO: I was grilled for three hours at US airport by border cops
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Re: Ex-Mozilla CTO: I was grilled for three hours at US airport by border cops
#12I'm hoping that manufactures will start building a plausible deniability user profile you can log into while leaving your actual profile encrypted, appearing to be slack space. This kind of thuggery seems to be getting more common.
Keep data off your devices during travel, and download it once you're safe. If corporate, require external activation by someone from the company before the contents of your device are restored. That way you cannot be forced to divulge any company trade secrets, because you simply don't have access to them while you're crossing the border.
Re: Ex-Mozilla CTO: I was grilled for three hours at US airport by border cops
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
Keep data off your devices during travel, and download it once you're safe. If corporate, require external activation by someone from the company before the contents of your device are restored. That way you cannot be forced to divulge any company trade secrets, because you simply don't have access to them while you're crossing the border.
Some companies issue "China" Laptops to their executives that they must discard after visiting China. Now I believe we all need throw away laptops and cell phones and Facebook accounts for any sort of international travel.
Fact is: I don't do Facebook, nor any other Facebook product, so I'm really not able to hand over any such credentials.
Re: Ex-Mozilla CTO: I was grilled for three hours at US airport by border cops
#14Non-citizens are in a totally different boat. You can be denied entry for any reason whatsoever. Tread carefully....
Re: Ex-Mozilla CTO: I was grilled for three hours at US airport by border cops
#15I'm hoping that manufactures will start building a plausible deniability user profile you can log into while leaving your actual profile encrypted, appearing to be slack space. This kind of thuggery seems to be getting more common.
Keep data off your devices during travel, and download it once you're safe. If corporate, require external activation by someone from the company before the contents of your device are restored. That way you cannot be forced to divulge any company trade secrets, because you simply don't have access to them while you're crossing the border.
Once the agent has your password and takes the device into their back room for an hour, you have to assume that all data has been offloaded and the device has had an undetectable rootkit added.
This gentleman's expertise is in security and encryption and now he works for Apple, a company that makes products that the US government can't always crack. He was clearly targeted in his encounter because of his current position, based on the questions they were asking. Surreptitious access to his devices is highly desirable to US intelligence services.
Any device that you lose physical control of during these encounters must be presumed to be compromised and should be physically destroyed afterwards.
Re: Ex-Mozilla CTO: I was grilled for three hours at US airport by border cops
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
Keep data off your devices during travel, and download it once you're safe. If corporate, require external activation by someone from the company before the contents of your device are restored. That way you cannot be forced to divulge any company trade secrets, because you simply don't have access to them while you're crossing the border.
So what if you are asked if your device is in its normal state or whether you deleted any data from your device before travelling? Lying in that situation would seem like a very bad idea (I'm not a US national) - I've had a few uncomfortable experiences over the years entering the US and I certainly wouldn't want to do anything that would give cause to escalate things on their side.
Re: Ex-Mozilla CTO: I was grilled for three hours at US airport by border cops
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
Keep data off your devices during travel, and download it once you're safe. If corporate, require external activation by someone from the company before the contents of your device are restored. That way you cannot be forced to divulge any company trade secrets, because you simply don't have access to them while you're crossing the border.
So what if you are asked if your device is in its normal state or whether you deleted any data from your device before travelling? Lying in that situation would seem like a very bad idea (I'm not a US national) - I've had a few uncomfortable experiences over the years entering the US and I certainly wouldn't want to do anything that would give cause to escalate things on their side.
Re: Ex-Mozilla CTO: I was grilled for three hours at US airport by border cops
#18Re: Ex-Mozilla CTO: I was grilled for three hours at US airport by border cops
#19I'm hoping that manufactures will start building a plausible deniability user profile you can log into while leaving your actual profile encrypted, appearing to be slack space. This kind of thuggery seems to be getting more common.
Keep data off your devices during travel, and download it once you're safe. If corporate, require external activation by someone from the company before the contents of your device are restored. That way you cannot be forced to divulge any company trade secrets, because you simply don't have access to them while you're crossing the border.
He wasn't FORCED to unlock his computer, he was just detained for three hours because he wasn't. Adding technical restrictions won't stop that.
Re: Ex-Mozilla CTO: I was grilled for three hours at US airport by border cops
#20I'm hoping that manufactures will start building a plausible deniability user profile you can log into while leaving your actual profile encrypted, appearing to be slack space. This kind of thuggery seems to be getting more common.
Keep data off your devices during travel, and download it once you're safe. If corporate, require external activation by someone from the company before the contents of your device are restored. That way you cannot be forced to divulge any company trade secrets, because you simply don't have access to them while you're crossing the border.