I finally got a passport for the first time in my life – I’m almost 40 – and I plan on taking my first trip across the border in 23 years, back then you didn’t need a passport.
So, my questions are:
Should I encrypt my laptop hard drives (there are 2 seperate ones), before I go?
And, is there any other security/privacy software that you’d recommend, besides the usual ones?
Not every laptop is searched, the selection is apparently random. As to your question, if there is data that you do not want anyone else to see, why leave it on your laptop if you are crossing an international border? You could just put it on a thumb drive and put that in your pocket. As far as encryption software, Truecrypt is the gold standard.
I agree. Truecrypt is excellent.
You can use it on your thumb drive as a device and it appears unformatted to the casual user.
If there is something on there that is worth stealing/obtaining, then you should encrypt it. TrueCrypt is one of the best encryption tools i have ever seen.
I use TrueCrypt on all business laptops. It does not prevent it from being stolen, but the information on it, is not easy retrievable.
If you are worried that customs may force you to decrypt your harddisks, you can always use a hidden operating system or another form of plausible deniability. Read the documentation carefully as it is not without risks.