If I travel to the US again, I imagine I'd buy myself a cheap netbook, and take that with me instead. Although I'm happy enough with the security of my key chain while I have physical control of my machine, I imagine it isn't too much work to break out my remembered passwords from an offline copy of my hard disk.
You could also keep the builtin hard drive pristine, booting & wrking off of an easily-removable compact flash card, to keep in a pocket as your clear customs.
Are you saying that you would get a netbook to get around them being able to seize your laptop? If so, I doubt any law enforcement will split those hairs for you.
Since everyone is pouncing on this with the same response, I'll just respond to myself and say Ok, I understand what he was trying to say now. Also, why is my question (followed by an if-so) being downmodded? I wasn't even being rude.
> Also, why is my question (followed by an if-so) being downmodded? I wasn't even being rude.
Good question. Downmodding of questions is a phenomenon that I've seen on other sites (less so on HN, but here it is, happening). And I always wonder why.
I didn't downmod this time, but I have in the past - generally because the question shows the poster didn't even read the post he was questioning (or was really stupid), because it was clearly answered in the original post.
I image DougBTX's comment meant buying a cheap and clean laptop (the "notebook" was meant to emphasize how cheap), so he has necessary functionality while on the road but doesn't accidentally expose himself to troubles because of who-knows-what on his main laptop. It wasn't about splitting hairs.
Split what hairs? I read his comment to mean he'd bring a netbook that he can afford to lose -- "disposable", if U.S. Customs decides to seize it. Further, that being a separate computer that contains no data of importance to him. Merely something that provides an interface to the Internet, once past the border, for convenience and for the security of starting with a machine in a known safe state (well, assuming Customs doesn't install anything on it) as opposed to borrowing someone else's machine or using a public one.
My one caveat would be to suggest comparing prices at home and in the U.S., and if it's significantly cheaper in the U.S. and you have enough time to shop without stress or sacrifice, consider buying the machine in the U.S. -- unless it would be too much hassle to bring it back (import taxes or whatever). (Years ago, a friend's boss went back to Germany with an entire Minolta or whatever SLR setup (body, lenses, tripod, etc) that would have cost him something like twice as much at home. He found some way to get it past German customs -- he may have just taken the chance that he would not be challenged.)
I've seen similar comments before. And it mirrors the approach I would take if/when I travel abroad and the equipment is not my employer's. Any data I need I'll leave strongly encrypted on a data store I can access over the Net. Bonuses: Theft will only risk the price of the machine, and if I feel uncertain about its health upon my return (or during the trip), I can simply wipe it and reinstall.
Now that I think about it, I recall that the boss asked my friend, on one of the friend's trips, to bring a laser printer back. This was before they were as small and light as they've gotten. It gave me a good laugh when he told me this. But somehow he got it packed and home.
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/07/laptop_securit...