New Laptop Polices

Sat Aug 12 04:16:10 UTC 2006

Joseph S D Yao wrote:
> On Fri, Aug 11, 2006 at 09:31:52PM -0500, Laurence F. Sheldon, Jr. wrote:
>> Joseph S D Yao wrote:
>>
>>> Do modern laptops have disk drives that are that hard to remove?
>> Let us say "No, they are not that hard to remove."
>>
>> Now what?  (Recall that this thread started with a situation where it 
>> was said that carry-on was limited to passport, medicine in small 
>> quantities, and precious little else.)
> 
> 
> No, you were right about my intent.  If you're flying from the States
> you can carry this.  Flying in the reverse direction is the problem -
> this week.  (The rules already changed, today; are we sure that disk
> drives are still on the Index Proscriptus?  What about RAM drives?)
> 
> You could also rush-express it ahead of you, but that's a bit of a
> gamble.  Less so if you encrypt it and keep a copy at home.  Sort of
> like faxing your disk drive ahead.
> 
> And, going along with what I think you later said, if you just leave the
> laptop itself at home and stick the disk drive into an identical laptop
> provided for that purpose at the destination, you could never tell the
> difference.

The fact of the matter is laptops get lost. Any business that depends on
information being carried around on laptops by employees of the
corporation needs to be prepared for that inevitability, and take steps
to insure that data is not compromised.

I have had three laptops stolen in the last five years, I feel this
threat acutely, but it doesn't change the fact that I have to carry a
laptop in order to fulfill my duties.

Fundamentally I don't see how changes in airline policy would have a
significant effect in the steps required to secure a laptop against
theft or tampering.

joelja

> 

-- 
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Joel Jaeggli             Unix Consulting              joelja at uoregon.edu
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