US customs given powers to cache your data

[Jakob]

  I don't want my handy password file and bank details and photos of my arse going to Untrusted Third Parties.

Why are you carrying that around with you?.

[Greenbank]

  I don't want my handy password file and bank details and photos of my arse going to Untrusted Third Parties.

Why are you carrying that around with you?.

That Goatse website can help with storage of one of those files...

[andygates]

Why are you carrying that around with you?.

Because I am a modern world citizen wot does stuff all over the place.  And I have a huge scad of passwords. 

More importantly, why the hell shouldn't I be able to carry my private data around without intrusion?

[rae]

Because I am a modern world citizen wot does stuff all over the place. 

Remote server, VPN.   That's what a modern citizen would do.  Humping data around is so 20th century...

[andygates]

But works when the net is down.   

[rae]

When was the net last "down"?!

Back OT, I agree that this is an outrageous imposition.   Where I disagree is that the correct response is "oooh, I'll get some encryption for my laptop, that'll show 'em".   All that will show them is your bottom as they shove the rubber glove in.

[andygates]

When was the net last "down"?!

The final mile is all that matters, and that's got users on it.   

Back OT, I agree that this is an outrageous imposition.   Where I disagree is that the correct response is "oooh, I'll get some encryption for my laptop, that'll show 'em".   All that will show them is your bottom as they shove the rubber glove in.

We'll have to agree to disagree on the response (moot, really, as I don't have the cash to fly anywhere since I bought that victorian ballbreaker)...

[nuttycyclist]

When was the net last "down"?!

The final mile is all that matters, and that's got users on it.   

.....

Indeed.

Due to DNS fookups Monday morning was the last time I was unable to get from desk to outside world.

Last month were also two major outages caused by infrastructure off site and outside the responsibility of both the company and support contractors.

On both those occasions my locally stored data continued to work, as did my pen and paper.   Had my "stuff" been secure at home and accessible only via secure VPN, it'd have been as inaccessible as the moon is to a goldfish.

[rae]

Due to DNS fookups Monday morning was the last time I was unable to get from desk to outside world.

Last month were also two major outages caused by infrastructure off site and outside the responsibility of both the company and support contractors. 

OK, those of us with 3G cards can afford to be smug.

[nuttycyclist]

Who is to say 3G will remain stable?

Major incident (e.g. 7/7 bombings) can take the lines down, whether through capacity issues or intentionally by the owners/authorities.

[itsme]

Maybe everybody needs to start transporting as much data as possible in a format that is not easily compressible.  Before the last British Census I had wondered if there is a maximum permitted length for your name.  I had considered changing my name to something that was a few terrabytes long.

[rae]

That's a better answer.  Arrive at their checks with a 2 TB USB drive full of videos or something.   Preferably crap films.  Sure, back 'em up, not a problem....

[Greenbank]

Maybe everybody needs to start transporting as much data as possible in a format that is not easily compressible.

Easily countered. They can just seize the device. No need to have loads of storage to make a copy

[Andydauddwr]

Maybe it's just me, but why do you need to take your data on holiday with you?  I like my gadgets as much as the next bod, and on my last trip stateside took my IPAQ and used WiFi a couple of times to check e-mail etc, but was carrying bugger all in the way of personal files.

AC

[andygates]

Holiday is but a subset of travel.