Protecting Electronic Devices and Stored Information from Customs Searches
Apr 12, 2017, 8:25 am
#151
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Nice obfuscation and deflection, but I neither assumed nor ignored. The bias of the article is as clear as the nose on one's face and proudly displayed for the world to see. The article mentions only one officeholder, multiple times, and the article used the quote to contextualize and associate the searches with the current administration only and made no connection whatsoever to the previous administration which is the one that actually trebled the number of searches.
I am not privy to the same things to which you may be privy so I do not doubt the new administration has changed the government's focus as to whose privacy it is assaulting at the border. But the fact remains that the previous administration did not massively increase the government's assault on passenger privacy because of comments by candidates from the opposition party which is clearly the article's implication.
In any event, the change of focus pales in comparison to the fact that the government's agents use substantial intimidation to invade our privacy - and only a few of our critters in congress have any feck to push back.
Having said that, on a professional level, having this ability to search electronics without warrant is massively productive. Well, maybe not massively, but certainly is very useful.
Is the ability being abused? Definitely. But even if the number of searches was to double or triple again, to say, 100k per year, that is a miniscule amount compared to the total number of known entries into the US each year (~150M or .0007%). And unfortunately, I believe even that amount of abuse is a "risk" our legislators are willing to accept in the name of "homeland insecurity."
I am not privy to the same things to which you may be privy so I do not doubt the new administration has changed the government's focus as to whose privacy it is assaulting at the border. But the fact remains that the previous administration did not massively increase the government's assault on passenger privacy because of comments by candidates from the opposition party which is clearly the article's implication.
In any event, the change of focus pales in comparison to the fact that the government's agents use substantial intimidation to invade our privacy - and only a few of our critters in congress have any feck to push back.
Having said that, on a professional level, having this ability to search electronics without warrant is massively productive. Well, maybe not massively, but certainly is very useful.
Is the ability being abused? Definitely. But even if the number of searches was to double or triple again, to say, 100k per year, that is a miniscule amount compared to the total number of known entries into the US each year (~150M or .0007%). And unfortunately, I believe even that amount of abuse is a "risk" our legislators are willing to accept in the name of "homeland insecurity."
Apr 12, 2017, 9:36 am
#152
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Apr 20, 2017, 3:39 pm
#153
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
One of the officers calls out to me and says, 'Hey, give me your phone,'" recalled Shibly. "And I said, 'No, because I already went through this.'"
The officer asked a second time.
Within seconds, he was surrounded: one man held his legs, another squeezed his throat from behind. A third reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. McCormick watched her boyfriend's face turn red as the officer's chokehold tightened....
What most of them have in common — 23 of the 25 — is that they are Muslim, like Shibly, whose parents are from Syria.
The officer asked a second time.
Within seconds, he was surrounded: one man held his legs, another squeezed his throat from behind. A third reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. McCormick watched her boyfriend's face turn red as the officer's chokehold tightened....
What most of them have in common — 23 of the 25 — is that they are Muslim, like Shibly, whose parents are from Syria.
Apr 20, 2017, 5:33 pm
#154
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 5,662
I've already disposed of one phone. I wouldn't unlock it, it was taken out of my sight. I refused to touch the phone when they returned it. I was carrying an evidence bag for such a situation, and into the bag the phone went. The office was very curious as to why, and I explained the phone would be forensically examined by security researchers to see if any changes could be detected. He seemed to think this was excessive and I had the pleasure of explaining that, to those of us in infosec, there is no difference between the Chinese and US Governments - both are APTs. He didn't like being compared to the Chinese. So sad for him.
Sep 13, 2017, 12:45 pm
#155
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Snowden publicly confirmed what was already mostly known by some. And what he revealed publicly confirmed to more that the NSA didn't have it all then either. And they still don't have it all. And even much of what they have isn't as much a risk to Americans' freedom as what the CBP can do to Americans' freedom, even if the NSA were to have it all.
The NSA playing law enforcement officer in the US using warrantless NSA means to target Americans? Not a significant risk compared to CBP warantless searches being used for law enforcement purposes in the US to target Americans.
It's DHS/CBP's searches that generate the greater threat to Americans' freedom in the US. NSA is more extensively restricted in legal and practical terms with what can be done with data it gets when it comes to law enforcement use against Americans than DHS/CBP is.
Conspiracy theorists may be obsessed with our proverbial spooks going after Americans, but the ones to watch out for in government are the people formally and generally engaged in law enforcement in the US; the latter are the greater and more immediate danger to your freedom.
The NSA playing law enforcement officer in the US using warrantless NSA means to target Americans? Not a significant risk compared to CBP warantless searches being used for law enforcement purposes in the US to target Americans.
It's DHS/CBP's searches that generate the greater threat to Americans' freedom in the US. NSA is more extensively restricted in legal and practical terms with what can be done with data it gets when it comes to law enforcement use against Americans than DHS/CBP is.
Conspiracy theorists may be obsessed with our proverbial spooks going after Americans, but the ones to watch out for in government are the people formally and generally engaged in law enforcement in the US; the latter are the greater and more immediate danger to your freedom.
https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/...duke-complaint
Sep 18, 2017, 12:49 pm
#156
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An interesting related development is that iOS 11, which will be released to the general public tomorrow, has two interesting new features:
1. Pressing the Power/screen off button five times quickly disables the TouchID sensor and makes you enter your password.
2. Plugging the phone - even if unlocked - into a computer makes you type the password before the phone trusts the computer and allows the computer to download its information.
1. Pressing the Power/screen off button five times quickly disables the TouchID sensor and makes you enter your password.
2. Plugging the phone - even if unlocked - into a computer makes you type the password before the phone trusts the computer and allows the computer to download its information.
Sep 19, 2017, 2:39 am
#157
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An interesting related development is that iOS 11, which will be released to the general public tomorrow, has two interesting new features:
1. Pressing the Power/screen off button five times quickly disables the TouchID sensor and makes you enter your password.
2. Plugging the phone - even if unlocked - into a computer makes you type the password before the phone trusts the computer and allows the computer to download its information.
1. Pressing the Power/screen off button five times quickly disables the TouchID sensor and makes you enter your password.
2. Plugging the phone - even if unlocked - into a computer makes you type the password before the phone trusts the computer and allows the computer to download its information.
Sep 19, 2017, 5:29 am
#158
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Do any phones have that feature?
Sep 19, 2017, 5:45 am
#159
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Sep 23, 2017, 5:25 pm
#160
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Unless it could emulate a lower memory version a quick check would expose the hidden partition.
Sep 23, 2017, 5:49 pm
#161
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Just a thought, on phones or other devices that use removable media, such as an SD card, could not all sensitive data be be stored on removable media? Upload that data to the cloud, mail, or what have you, reformat then carry on? Clean core device at all times.
Sep 24, 2017, 4:53 pm
#162
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dulles, VA
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The issue with effectively going through CBP with just an OS or even bare metal is that you really have limited time to do it if you plan to use your device on your flight. I've long advocated that if you want to do it right, load up VirtualBox or VMWare or whatever and use a VM as your default system for everything. Upload that file before your flight, then blow it away when you're descending. Install some software on the metal OS on your device to make sure the delete is truly deleted. Reinstall the VM after you leave the airport.
Anything other than this would be a pain to accomplish.
Anything other than this would be a pain to accomplish.
Sep 24, 2017, 8:30 pm
#163
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 5,662
Exactly. And my phone won't run VMWare.
I'll be leaving for Japan on Wednesday. I wish I trusted iOS 11 enough to load it up before I go, but I'm waiting for the first big update. I don't want my phone screwing up on my trip. I'll probably put it on my iPad however.
Here's the risk I've decided to be willing to take upon my return, and it means I'm throwing money at the problem. I will just reboot my phone before Customs. If they ask me to unlock I'll say no. If they confiscate the device I'll let them, and go buy a new one. I can afford that. I might get the phone back some day but I'll just turn it over to the EFF or similar for forensics. Never trust that phone again.
I'll be leaving for Japan on Wednesday. I wish I trusted iOS 11 enough to load it up before I go, but I'm waiting for the first big update. I don't want my phone screwing up on my trip. I'll probably put it on my iPad however.
Here's the risk I've decided to be willing to take upon my return, and it means I'm throwing money at the problem. I will just reboot my phone before Customs. If they ask me to unlock I'll say no. If they confiscate the device I'll let them, and go buy a new one. I can afford that. I might get the phone back some day but I'll just turn it over to the EFF or similar for forensics. Never trust that phone again.
Sep 24, 2017, 8:49 pm
#164
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Exactly. And my phone won't run VMWare.
I'll be leaving for Japan on Wednesday. I wish I trusted iOS 11 enough to load it up before I go, but I'm waiting for the first big update. I don't want my phone screwing up on my trip. I'll probably put it on my iPad however.
Here's the risk I've decided to be willing to take upon my return, and it means I'm throwing money at the problem. I will just reboot my phone before Customs. If they ask me to unlock I'll say no. If they confiscate the device I'll let them, and go buy a new one. I can afford that. I might get the phone back some day but I'll just turn it over to the EFF or similar for forensics. Never trust that phone again.
I'll be leaving for Japan on Wednesday. I wish I trusted iOS 11 enough to load it up before I go, but I'm waiting for the first big update. I don't want my phone screwing up on my trip. I'll probably put it on my iPad however.
Here's the risk I've decided to be willing to take upon my return, and it means I'm throwing money at the problem. I will just reboot my phone before Customs. If they ask me to unlock I'll say no. If they confiscate the device I'll let them, and go buy a new one. I can afford that. I might get the phone back some day but I'll just turn it over to the EFF or similar for forensics. Never trust that phone again.
Sep 24, 2017, 9:16 pm
#165
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 5,662
Because I used Touch ID. In iOS 10 rebooting the phone is the fastest way to temporarily disable Touch ID.