A Security Thought Experiment: Protecting Your Stuff at the Border.

 I've been reading about the concerns folks have regarding computer and phone searches when crossing into the U.S. (or other equally despotic regimes.) Here's what I would do should I have sensitive material (i.e. anti-Trump documents) that I needed to have available. I would love to hear your thoughts.  Perhaps I have overlooked something.

1. Create folders on a cloud service located outside the U.S., such as Proton. Encrypt one of the folders for storing sensitive documents.

2. I use only Linux on all my machines with Windows installed in a VM, both 10 and 11. Better yet, install a Linux distro as a VM and use that. I could use those VMs to access the cloud service to create documents and do business using an online office suite like OnlyOffice or Zoho (I have both.)

3. Reinstall Windows in the VM before coming back into the US so there is a clean install with no evidence of access to anything else. Or just delete the VM.

4. Use the regular Linux installation for non-sensitive work, reading the news, maps, travel docs. etc. and access to a new Protonmail account to be used for travel, etc.

5. Use a more arcane Linux distro, Archbang, for example.  No point making things easy. You could also, just for fun, create a hidden, encrypted partition.  Unlikely, it would be found without extensive forensic work, but don't use it for anything sensitive.  BSD or Gentoo might drive them nuts, assuming they haven't driven you nuts first. 

6. Another option is to install a Linux distro on a fast flash drive (I do this all the time) and use that to communicate with the hidden cloud service and then wipe before coming back, copy all your travel photos on to it, or, mail it home.  

7. One fun little exercise -- which, of course, I would never do -- is to create a folder called "important financial passwords" and create a little malware file entitled "passwords" that when clicked on, would run umount /dev/sda && dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sda bs=1M on their computer. 

8. Phone calls would be made using locally purchase SIM card that would be trashed before entering the U.S.  Of course, all phone calls are monitored by the NSA anyway, so don't use the phone.

9. And, no, I haven't forgotten about Tor.  Use it.

10. They would be welcome to my login password.

 

Personally, I worry about the ethics (or lack thereof) of the border patrol and suspect many of them are looking for financial data and other types of information they can use to enrich themselves.