Comments on: Flying to the US on business? Leave your laptop at home http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/archives/1512 Freelance writer Gary Marshall on technology, music, Macs and more Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:25:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: cheap http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/archives/1512/comment-page-1#comment-14205 cheap Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:13:51 +0000 http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/?p=1512#comment-14205 This is very troublesome to the United States. How do I ensure that my private information will not be leaked. This is very troublesome to the United States.
How do I ensure that my private information will not be leaked.

]]> By: ViSalus http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/archives/1512/comment-page-1#comment-12451 ViSalus Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:23:06 +0000 http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/?p=1512#comment-12451 The banks in question were the biggest global banks who were investing in custom technology and all their practices, SOPs etc were contained as were the future state. The banks in question were the biggest global banks who were investing in custom technology and all their practices, SOPs etc were contained as were the future state.

]]> By: Squander Two http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/archives/1512/comment-page-1#comment-11799 Squander Two Wed, 07 May 2008 12:37:10 +0000 http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/?p=1512#comment-11799 <i>> I don’t think the masses have figured out you can store documents on those.</i> No, but customs might go looking for <i>[gasp!]</i> Music! Which Is Illegal! > I don’t think the masses have figured out you can store documents on those.

No, but customs might go looking for [gasp!] Music! Which Is Illegal!

]]> By: Lis http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/archives/1512/comment-page-1#comment-11720 Lis Tue, 06 May 2008 12:52:02 +0000 http://www.bigmouthstrikesagain.com/?p=1512#comment-11720 The Swiss confiscated multiple hard copy documents containing step by step design and implementation details of highly proprietary programs and data from a consortium of banks. They were printed and loosely ring bound and we had 20 copies of these books for review and sign off. The banks in question were the biggest global banks who were investing in custom technology and all their practices, SOPs etc were contained as were the future state etc etc. When you cross borders, anything goes. The Swiss confiscated the books because they thought that the books were for commercial sale and wanted us to pay duty on them. Apparently Kinkos did too good of a job binding them though the words DRAFT and Proprietary and Confidential were stamped on each one. We didn't want to pay the asinine tax (would have exceeded the cost of producing the books by 10x) so we left them there. As far as we know, those books are still being held by the Swiss. I reckon the same is true of a flash drive, laptop, disks, DVD players etc etc. There was someone who got caught at the border with a bunch of pedophile porn on DVDs and was sent to jail. What I wonder is what leads a customs agent to even spend the time to do this. I've always carried a lot of DVDs that are home-labeled, I carry several laptops, documents, flash drives etc when I travel and cross borders and no one has ever even shown the slightest interest. Put your docs on a micro SD on your cell phone or even on an iPod. I don't think the masses have figured out you can store documents on those. My point is just that confiscation is nothing new - whether it's for "homeland security" or trying to obtain duty on an item of perceived value your stuff is fair game it appears when crossing borders - whether your coming to the U.S. or going to Switzerland. The Swiss confiscated multiple hard copy documents containing step by step design and implementation details of highly proprietary programs and data from a consortium of banks. They were printed and loosely ring bound and we had 20 copies of these books for review and sign off. The banks in question were the biggest global banks who were investing in custom technology and all their practices, SOPs etc were contained as were the future state etc etc.

When you cross borders, anything goes. The Swiss confiscated the books because they thought that the books were for commercial sale and wanted us to pay duty on them. Apparently Kinkos did too good of a job binding them though the words DRAFT and Proprietary and Confidential were stamped on each one. We didn’t want to pay the asinine tax (would have exceeded the cost of producing the books by 10x) so we left them there. As far as we know, those books are still being held by the Swiss.

I reckon the same is true of a flash drive, laptop, disks, DVD players etc etc. There was someone who got caught at the border with a bunch of pedophile porn on DVDs and was sent to jail. What I wonder is what leads a customs agent to even spend the time to do this. I’ve always carried a lot of DVDs that are home-labeled, I carry several laptops, documents, flash drives etc when I travel and cross borders and no one has ever even shown the slightest interest.

Put your docs on a micro SD on your cell phone or even on an iPod. I don’t think the masses have figured out you can store documents on those.

My point is just that confiscation is nothing new – whether it’s for “homeland security” or trying to obtain duty on an item of perceived value your stuff is fair game it appears when crossing borders – whether your coming to the U.S. or going to Switzerland.

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