Usb Flash And Metal Detectors

[Lost in LOS]

I want to scan my private info onto a flash drive and bring it to the states on my next trip. if i put the flash in my pocket can i walk through a metal detector. nothing illegal on it but private account info. i know i can encrypt it which works if i lose it but customs may think it is porn and want me to open it and then they have my info including account numbers, passwords etc.

thanks

[phaethon]

I think it would set off most (especially US) scanners and you would have to show it then. I send mine through in the carry-on baggage and have never been questioned over flash (or portable USB HD) drives, but then I have the good fortune not to be a US citizen and the good sense not to travel there any more.

Put it/them in your carry-on, encrypt it and if they ask you to open it up for inspection I suspect you'll just have to bite the bullet. There are encryption programs like TrueCrypt that will create an encrypted volume and then add a secondary encrypted volume within that that is accessed via a separate password but is (they claim) undetectable as an encrypted system within the top level of encryption ('plausible deniability' is the term they use to describe the second encryption level). How much time and effort the USG will put into cracking this will depend on how big a boogeyman they think you are.

Good luck and send us a postcard from Gitmo.

[RobotTeacher]

Flashdrives have metal inside them. It will cause a beep and you'll be asked to empty your pockets. Just put it in the bin with the rest of your pocket things like cell phone and keys. They're looking for guns, bombs, and drugs. I noticed in China, they not only wave a metal detecting wand, they literally feel your whole body up with it to see if you got anything strapped to you such as packs of heroin or bombs. This will get you life or execution, but your flash drive shouldn't be a problem.

[TAWP]

Noticed when I flew on a biz-trip 3 weeks ago that they now order people to remove their belts, especially us that have metal belt buckets...just what I need, standing around holding my pants up while being wanted by an employee with an double-digit IQ...

[noahvail]

I want to scan my private info onto a flash drive and bring it to the states on my next trip. if i put the flash in my pocket can i walk through a metal detector. nothing illegal on it but private account info. i know i can encrypt it which works if i lose it but customs may think it is porn and want me to open it and then they have my info including account numbers, passwords etc.

thanks

My understanding is that the Thai and US customs, to mention but two, have encryption-breaking programs that take several hours. If you do not give the passwords when asked by customs, they will take your laptop or pen drive and break the encryption, then scan everything that's on there. So, if you're connecting to a flight, you've likely missed your connection. And worse, if there's porn or other compromising data, like pirated downloads, you are in a fair bit of trouble, because those things contravene customs' regs. If you're willing to give your passwords, they do a cursory check, and will overlook the less blatant things - so if you've pirated a movie, no real problem, but if you've pirated 100...

[Carmine6]

Where are you thinking you'd have to go through a metal detector?

Unless you're pulled aside by customs, you'll not face a metal detector when you arrive in the US.

If you have to switch terminals to another flight in the US, the detectors are not too bad now. I've gone through with a heavy belt buckle before and a watch with a metal watchband. I'd be surprised if the average usb drive would set one off.

[Lost in LOS]

i wont have anything on the drive but i will have all my account numbers, passwords, bank accounts, thai will etc. i want them for my family so if i die someday they know where to look for my details. If the customs or scanner people make me open it they might copy the info and then they have all my info. sort of like identity theft only worse. i wont be bringing anything but a carry on and maybe i will try to hide it in that. I just read how the US is looking at computer and drives for porn

[H2oDunc]

Why not encrypt the data and email it to your family member.when you come over give them the encryption key or mail them the key in another email ?

[flying]

I just did this & what I did was also use a password protected spreadsheets within.

I did however throw it in my pack when I came to check points. Just let it go through with your shoes or jacket etc.

Edited March 4, 2009 by flying

[Spee]

I want to scan my private info onto a flash drive and bring it to the states on my next trip. if i put the flash in my pocket can i walk through a metal detector. nothing illegal on it but private account info. i know i can encrypt it which works if i lose it but customs may think it is porn and want me to open it and then they have my info including account numbers, passwords etc.

I think you are unnecessarily overconcerned. I have for years typically carried 3-4 flash-type media in my laptop backback and have never been asked about them in any way, shape or form. This includes not only Thailand, but airports all over the world (HK, Korea, Saudi, Europe, US, etc.). This includes a very recent return from Thailand through Chicago O'Hare, where upon going through customs, some idiot woman customs officer looked at my passport and yelled out, "Thailand, Thailand!" to all of her colleagues. My bags were x-rayed but nothing else. No fuss, no muss. I would just put it into your computer bag and not worry about it. If you are really that concerned about data security, then upgrade your operating system and install "Bit-Locker" or some other sort of data encryption utility, and keep all of your senstive data on your computer's hard drive.

[JetsetBkk]

I want to scan my private info onto a flash drive and bring it to the states on my next trip. if i put the flash in my pocket can i walk through a metal detector. nothing illegal on it but private account info. i know i can encrypt it which works if i lose it but customs may think it is porn and want me to open it and then they have my info including account numbers, passwords etc.

thanks

You Send It (to yourself) or TrueCrypt

[Carmine6]

i wont have anything on the drive but i will have all my account numbers, passwords, bank accounts, thai will etc. i want them for my family so if i die someday they know where to look for my details. If the customs or scanner people make me open it they might copy the info and then they have all my info. sort of like identity theft only worse. i wont be bringing anything but a carry on and maybe i will try to hide it in that. I just read how the US is looking at computer and drives for porn

Ok, now I'm understanding it. You're scanning things so you'll have picture format files. Which you're thinking Customs will then assume is porn.

I do think you're being over cautious about them going through it. Think of all the cell phones and cameras will pictures on them. When's the last time you heard about US Customs going through those?

USB drives are so common now that they'll not rate any alarm in your carry on bags. Well unless you give off some shady vibes.

I'm with the folks who say encrypt the files and email them if you're that worried. If you're hyper-paranoid, create a draft email with the encrypted files and don't send it. Then when you get to the US, login to your email account and download the files.

[kenai]

I have been traveling to and from Thailand several times and all over the US with media cards and lately a 100GB portable drive. I have never once been asked about them or heard of anyone that has. These storage devices really are everywhere now days.

I think they could tap into your drive if you were pulled aside for a serious matter or if you were coming through with an excessive amount of storage capacity - IMO.

I would not keep it on when you walk through either - send it through with carry-on so you wont wast anyones time, and it will look suspicious keeping it on you.

Happy Travels -

[daveh]

Ok, now I'm understanding it. You're scanning things so you'll have picture format files. Which you're thinking Customs will then assume is porn.

I do think you're being over cautious about them going through it. Think of all the cell phones and cameras will pictures on them. When's the last time you heard about US Customs going through those?

USB drives are so common now that they'll not rate any alarm in your carry on bags. Well unless you give off some shady vibes.

I'm with the folks who say encrypt the files and email them if you're that worried. If you're hyper-paranoid, create a draft email with the encrypted files and don't send it. Then when you get to the US, login to your email account and download the files.

Actually US Customs are going through people's cameras, flash drives, and laptops. They are claiming they are looking for child porn. However, a vast majority of people returning from Thailand to the US are not harassed. It's only the people that fit the profile, single male. On my last return the customs agent asked if we had any "electronic devices purchased in the US, brought to Thailand, and carried back to the US". I mentioned two cameras, cell phones, and a GPS. He didn't ask to see any of the photos, but I know a guy who has had to turn on his camera and laptops and show them the pictures. He gets "randomly" chosen on just about every return trip to the US. On the occasion he came back with his kids, no problems.

[Lost in LOS]

i wont have anything on the drive but i will have all my account numbers, passwords, bank accounts, thai will etc. i want them for my family so if i die someday they know where to look for my details. If the customs or scanner people make me open it they might copy the info and then they have all my info. sort of like identity theft only worse. i wont be bringing anything but a carry on and maybe i will try to hide it in that. I just read how the US is looking at computer and drives for porn

Ok, now I'm understanding it. You're scanning things so you'll have picture format files. Which you're thinking Customs will then assume is porn.

I do think you're being over cautious about them going through it. Think of all the cell phones and cameras will pictures on them. When's the last time you heard about US Customs going through those?

USB drives are so common now that they'll not rate any alarm in your carry on bags. Well unless you give off some shady vibes.

I'm with the folks who say encrypt the files and email them if you're that worried. If you're hyper-paranoid, create a draft email with the encrypted files and don't send it. Then when you get to the US, login to your email account and download the files.

Thanks for all the responses. I will probably just encrypt the usb flash and keep it in my carryon. this idea fo encrypted files and emailing them sounds better but i am not sure how to do that. if, for example, i put an excel spread sheet in gmail, what is the best way encrypt it and will that make it totally safe where I can open the file in America, print it, and then erase the file? I password protect all my files like this on my computer and also password protect opening of windows but i am not sure the encrypt process. I do click the right button on a file, click properties and click encrypt on my computer but i assume that only encrypts files that stay on my computer

thanks for all the help

Edited March 5, 2009 by Lost in LOS

[Carmine6]

i wont have anything on the drive but i will have all my account numbers, passwords, bank accounts, thai will etc. i want them for my family so if i die someday they know where to look for my details. If the customs or scanner people make me open it they might copy the info and then they have all my info. sort of like identity theft only worse. i wont be bringing anything but a carry on and maybe i will try to hide it in that. I just read how the US is looking at computer and drives for porn

Ok, now I'm understanding it. You're scanning things so you'll have picture format files. Which you're thinking Customs will then assume is porn.

I do think you're being over cautious about them going through it. Think of all the cell phones and cameras will pictures on them. When's the last time you heard about US Customs going through those?

USB drives are so common now that they'll not rate any alarm in your carry on bags. Well unless you give off some shady vibes.

I'm with the folks who say encrypt the files and email them if you're that worried. If you're hyper-paranoid, create a draft email with the encrypted files and don't send it. Then when you get to the US, login to your email account and download the files.

Thanks for all the responses. I will probably just encrypt the usb flash and keep it in my carryon. this idea fo encrypted files and emailing them sounds better but i am not sure how to do that. if, for example, i put an excel spread sheet in gmail, what is the best way encrypt it and will that make it totally safe where I can open the file in America, print it, and then erase the file? I password protect all my files like this on my computer and also password protect opening of windows but i am not sure the encrypt process. I do click the right button on a file, click properties and click encrypt on my computer but i assume that only encrypts files that stay on my computer

thanks for all the help

JetsetBKK posted a link to Truecrypt, which is a free encrypting program. I use it for my travel computer. It can be run from a USB according to the FAQ. Or you could carry the install file on the USB drive and install it on a PC when you get to the States. Or just email yourself the website link.

What it does is create a file or files of whatever size you specify. Then you "mount" the file as a drive, and then you can copy your files to it as if it were another USB drive or hard drive. You can get all the documents into 1 file, or split it up if the file is too big for 1 email.

One feature it has is you can actually make a hidden volume within the file. So you have 1 password to open the file and then have to know that there is a hidden volume to open up with a different password.

Check the FAQ for how to install it to a USB drive. I would say try it on your PC. It's good to have anyway since if someone uses your computer you can still have secure files on there.

http://www.truecrypt.org/faq.php

[OriginalPoster]

i wont have anything on the drive but i will have all my account numbers, passwords, bank accounts, thai will etc. i want them for my family so if i die someday they know where to look for my details. If the customs or scanner people make me open it they might copy the info and then they have all my info. sort of like identity theft only worse. i wont be bringing anything but a carry on and maybe i will try to hide it in that. I just read how the US is looking at computer and drives for porn

Ok, now I'm understanding it. You're scanning things so you'll have picture format files. Which you're thinking Customs will then assume is porn.

I do think you're being over cautious about them going through it. Think of all the cell phones and cameras will pictures on them. When's the last time you heard about US Customs going through those?

USB drives are so common now that they'll not rate any alarm in your carry on bags. Well unless you give off some shady vibes.

I'm with the folks who say encrypt the files and email them if you're that worried. If you're hyper-paranoid, create a draft email with the encrypted files and don't send it. Then when you get to the US, login to your email account and download the files.

Thanks for all the responses. I will probably just encrypt the usb flash and keep it in my carryon. this idea fo encrypted files and emailing them sounds better but i am not sure how to do that. if, for example, i put an excel spread sheet in gmail, what is the best way encrypt it and will that make it totally safe where I can open the file in America, print it, and then erase the file? I password protect all my files like this on my computer and also password protect opening of windows but i am not sure the encrypt process. I do click the right button on a file, click properties and click encrypt on my computer but i assume that only encrypts files that stay on my computer

thanks for all the help

The right click and encrypt method in Windows only works for drives formatted as NTFS and unless you back up your encryption keys your will only be able to decrypt on the same PC as the one that did the encryption. If your flash drive is formatted FAT32 it won't work (though you can reformat it as NTFS). My preference would be to use Truecrypt instead because I think that it is a more robust solution.

That said, if your concern is just that your password and financial records do not wind up in the hands of someone who will do something malicous with them (as opposed to them finding something that is illegal to bring into the US), then I'd say that you don't have much to worry about from US Customs. The chances of them wanting to look at the contents of your USB drive in the first place is small, and then if they do, the chances of them using your financial info illegally are also small. Compound those two unlikely events, and the chances of both those things happening must be less than winning $1,000,000 in the lottery. However you should consider Truecrypt for another reason - if you lose your USB drive the person who finds it (or perhaps stole it from you) may use it for the purposes of identity theft or to try to drain momey from your financial accounts. That happening seems far more likely in fact than that US Customs would do the same thing if they got ahold of your USB drive.

Edited March 5, 2009 by OriginalPoster

[vagabond48]

However you should consider Truecrypt for another reason - if you lose your USB drive the person who finds it (or perhaps stole it from you) may use it for the purposes of identity theft or to try to drain momey from your financial accounts. That happening seems far more likely in fact than that US Customs would do the same thing if they got ahold of your USB drive.

I would love to use truecrypt to safeguard my flash drive when I travel but to read the drive on a different PC, you would need to have admin rights which may not always be available to you, especially at an internet cafe.

[Carmine6]

However you should consider Truecrypt for another reason - if you lose your USB drive the person who finds it (or perhaps stole it from you) may use it for the purposes of identity theft or to try to drain momey from your financial accounts. That happening seems far more likely in fact than that US Customs would do the same thing if they got ahold of your USB drive.

I would love to use truecrypt to safeguard my flash drive when I travel but to read the drive on a different PC, you would need to have admin rights which may not always be available to you, especially at an internet cafe.

I have a U3 capable USB drive and it has worked on every internet cafe computer I've tried. That's maybe in a few dozen internet shops. Supposedly it requires administrator rights, but the worst that has happened is I've gotten an error and then had to reboot the computer. Then it works just fine. Actually in Thailand I've never had a problem, it was in Manila where they had some serious lock down programs that I had problems on the first try.

U3 is like a mini OS. It provides password protection of the drive and the ability to run Firefox, Thunderbird, Skype, antivirus programs, and many other programs right off the USB drive.

http://www.u3.com/

[OriginalPoster]

However you should consider Truecrypt for another reason - if you lose your USB drive the person who finds it (or perhaps stole it from you) may use it for the purposes of identity theft or to try to drain momey from your financial accounts. That happening seems far more likely in fact than that US Customs would do the same thing if they got ahold of your USB drive.

I would love to use truecrypt to safeguard my flash drive when I travel but to read the drive on a different PC, you would need to have admin rights which may not always be available to you, especially at an internet cafe.

That's a good point that Truecyrpt needs to have admin rights or to have been installed on the PC by someone who does. Amazingly though, many cybercafes in Thailand leave their machines wide open. Not sure what the next best option would be for data files on a flash drive, maybe putting all the files in a passworded zip file with Winzip's AES-256 encryption? Might not keep the CIA from looking at your data but probably would be enough to keep out the average Joe who happened to have found your USB drive lying on the ground.

[vagabond48]

I have a U3 capable USB drive and it has worked on every internet cafe computer I've tried. That's maybe in a few dozen internet shops. Supposedly it requires administrator rights, but the worst that has happened is I've gotten an error and then had to reboot the computer. Then it works just fine. Actually in Thailand I've never had a problem, it was in Manila where they had some serious lock down programs that I had problems on the first try.

U3 is like a mini OS. It provides password protection of the drive and the ability to run Firefox, Thunderbird, Skype, antivirus programs, and many other programs right off the USB drive.

http://www.u3.com/

I had a U3 Kingston USB and it worked great on my laptop which was worthless to me. It didn't always work properly in Thailand. Sometimes it didn't bring up the password request so I couldn't get to my data. I am glad you have had better experience.

[jukapot]

I find the easiest and safest way to transport documents is to up load them to a personal website - or - use Google free service called documents,

There is also an even simpler way if the documents aren't too large - set up a google mail account and mail it to yourself. You can file it there forever no charge, In fact I know many who use Gmail as a free filing system.

I assume your documents are legal and are not state secrets.

[higgy88]

May I suggest Portable Apps

It is very similiar to U3, but uses only free, open source software and can be used on any flash drive. I specifically use Toucan to encrypt and decrypt my sensitive documents when I travel, and have not had any problems so far.

I have a U3 capable USB drive and it has worked on every internet cafe computer I've tried. That's maybe in a few dozen internet shops. Supposedly it requires administrator rights, but the worst that has happened is I've gotten an error and then had to reboot the computer. Then it works just fine. Actually in Thailand I've never had a problem, it was in Manila where they had some serious lock down programs that I had problems on the first try.

U3 is like a mini OS. It provides password protection of the drive and the ability to run Firefox, Thunderbird, Skype, antivirus programs, and many other programs right off the USB drive.

http://www.u3.com/

I had a U3 Kingston USB and it worked great on my laptop which was worthless to me. It didn't always work properly in Thailand. Sometimes it didn't bring up the password request so I couldn't get to my data. I am glad you have had better experience.

[vagabond48]

May I suggest Portable Apps

It is very similiar to U3, but uses only free, open source software and can be used on any flash drive. I specifically use Toucan to encrypt and decrypt my sensitive documents when I travel, and have not had any problems so far.

I use portable apps such as firefox, thunderbird, sunbird, openoffice keepass. It's great.

I don't know about Toucan. I will research it.

Thanks

[Cuban]

There's two issues being kindy confused here.

Taking a USB device through customs without it drawing attention to it and taking electronic data through customs without having to reveal what your password it. (I don't trust the buggers either.)

Assume that it will be found - little point trying to hide it on your person, best place to hide something is in the open. Where do you hide a tree, a forest. So put a few USB sticks together, so one will not stand out.

Hiding data. Assume their computers will be able to crack encryption on files that are "interesting' to them.

You need to make the file not interesting.

Assume JPG - TIFF - BMPs will be viewed or at least scanned maybe copied for later review.

.TXT files might be scanned for standard dictionary (range of langauges including Arabic) words, if there are no real words in a text file then that file becomes interesting and will get futher study.

If I were wishing to hide a small encrypted file I would rename it as a DLL or CAB file and hide it amoung similar in a sysem32 directory for example. make sure you redate the file, again so it does not stand out, searches look for something that is different.

File size is important in this context - consider what you are really documenting, if it is just account numbers and passwords - storing as a form of plain ASCII text is best - stuffing it in Excel or as an image is crazy - yes you can bury it in layers of encryption that only The NSA can crack - but you are drawing attention to it.

I think dumb people get caught, the smart ones are beyond hiding messages in encoded JGPs these days.

-------------------------------------------

Get the message ?

[Carmine6]

I have a U3 capable USB drive and it has worked on every internet cafe computer I've tried. That's maybe in a few dozen internet shops. Supposedly it requires administrator rights, but the worst that has happened is I've gotten an error and then had to reboot the computer. Then it works just fine. Actually in Thailand I've never had a problem, it was in Manila where they had some serious lock down programs that I had problems on the first try.

U3 is like a mini OS. It provides password protection of the drive and the ability to run Firefox, Thunderbird, Skype, antivirus programs, and many other programs right off the USB drive.

http://www.u3.com/

I had a U3 Kingston USB and it worked great on my laptop which was worthless to me. It didn't always work properly in Thailand. Sometimes it didn't bring up the password request so I couldn't get to my data. I am glad you have had better experience.

There was a software update that improved things a ton. Well there's been another one just recently as well. Also, I found if you find the drive in explorer and double click it, it will startup.

[Carmine6]

May I suggest Portable Apps

It is very similiar to U3, but uses only free, open source software and can be used on any flash drive. I specifically use Toucan to encrypt and decrypt my sensitive documents when I travel, and have not had any problems so far.

I'm going to try installing this on my mobile phone's card. Is there any issue with it working on a PC without having admin rights?

[OriginalPoster]

May I suggest Portable Apps

It is very similiar to U3, but uses only free, open source software and can be used on any flash drive. I specifically use Toucan to encrypt and decrypt my sensitive documents when I travel, and have not had any problems so far.

I'm going to try installing this on my mobile phone's card. Is there any issue with it working on a PC without having admin rights?

No, admin rights aren't needed. As long as the computer isn't so locked down that it won't allow you to launch exe's off of a removeable drive then all the Portable Apps stuff should would fine.

[JetsetBkk]

There's two issues being kindy confused here. ...

Excellent post, Cuban. What I used to do years ago - before flash drives were invented - was to zip up my "special" files into one very large file and then rename it "pagefile.sys" and then delete it, but leave it in the recycle bin for retrieving later.

Of course, I never had a customs man want to look at my laptop anyway, but I thought I was being really clever!

[vagabond48]

May I suggest Portable Apps

It is very similiar to U3, but uses only free, open source software and can be used on any flash drive. I specifically use Toucan to encrypt and decrypt my sensitive documents when I travel, and have not had any problems so far.

I installed Toucan.

I review the scant manual which didn't really have any information regarding encryption.

I clicked on the secure tab.

I created a job name

I selected my flashdrive drive

I added to the right column

I clicked ok and I am asked for a password. I saw no mention of password in the options or manual so I am lost.

I checked the portable app forum and there was no meaningful mention for encryption or passwords.

Can you shed so light.

Thanks