Just received this e-mail forwarded to me

[drmeow]

"In a little over a week, we will be holding MESA’s 42nd annual meeting in Washington, DC! Before you make your way to the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel to gather with your friends and colleagues, please allow us to remind you about the following.

Alert Regarding International Travel with Laptops and other Devices Storing Electronic Information
There is recent controversy regarding the search and seizure of laptops, thumbs, sticks, discs, etc. by border and customs agents for people entering the US from abroad. This applies to US citizens and non-citizens. Agents seem able to make arbitrary seizures of laptops and these devices for indefinite periods of time based upon any criteria they choose. (see Wikipedia for discussion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_search_exception).

What does this mean? It is recommended that all laptop data be backed up in a secure location before you travel. Further, sensitive research data should be encrypted, and references to research participants should be encoded in such a way as not to identify or harm them. Consider the practical aspects of having your laptop seized at the border. What will you do if your laptop is seized and kept for an indefinite period of time (days, weeks, or even months)?"

Scientist that belong to this (Middle East Studies Association) are probably especially vulnerable to this kind of illegal search and seizure.

What has this country come to?

[lapfog_1]

1. There is probably a business opportunity here...

laptop rental with your data already on it.

Sign up for the program, download a data backup/encryption piece of software, transmit your data to the US (our new company), specify the laptop brand/model (OK, maybe just generic features), fly to the US. Pick up your laptop (waiting for you at a location you specify). Enter the encryption password. Use it for however long. Run the scrubber program and return the laptop. Other than the expense (let's say $50 to $100 for a week), no muss no fuss.

Only bummer is that you can't use the laptop on the plane ride, but hey, I'm sure that there are some science or business journals you really need to catch up on... or a good novel that you've been putting off.

And, yeah, that's what our country has come too. That these morons at Border Patrol haven't thought this through is simply astounding. And oh, btw, if they think that by sniffing the internet traffic that comes in looking for data that would have been on the laptop, but now you sent it in advance, there are about a hundred ways I could hide that data that they would never figure it out. But if I want to be low tech, I'd just package it up and mail it (encrypted, of course) to my US destination. AFAIK, they haven't gone to the extreme of searching every package mailed to the US.

[Incitatus]

2. here

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080102988.html