Traveling with tech', it just ain't worth the risk

Since I last traveled overseas I'd decided that next time I wouldn't take my smart phone.

I decided I'd by a cheap (very cheap) phone with a prepaid sim at my destination.

This was prompted by some very annoying and suspicious payments my telco took from me while I was away despite the fact that their SIM wasn't even in my phone at the time.

Even before that I'd decided not to bother traveling with a laptop any more.

I'd seen how laptop bearers would be pulled aside and spend inordinate amounts of time with security personal. I just couldn't be bothered (security ramifications aside).

OK, I travel overseas only for holiday so I have the luxury of that choice, but many companies are now changing how their employees travel with technology.

Many are now giving, read requiring, employees to travel with cheap "empty" laptops that are in no way connected to corporate systems or contain any data.

Just having a password or some form of self-destruct on your devices isn't enough.

Certain international authorities will lock you up if you choose not to unlock your device.

For further reading on what they can and can't do go here...

So the best strategy is to take nothing with you through borders. I get that security is necessary and I get that this is a sad state of affairs but I also get that things go wrong and no matter how careful and honest I am, "things" can happen with and because of my devices that I really don't want to happen.

Last week I attended as security presentation. Among the presenters Harper Reed, who himself looks like every character from the Big bang Theory rolled into one, answered questions about a recent event shown on Facebook. A guy outlined in a video how his phone had been taken and imaged by security and how "they" had put some kind of monitoring software on his phone.

On the face of it the victim seemed like your typical paranoid conspiracy nut. But at the heart of this video was the kernel of truth that even in Australia authorities CAN take your device and search it and copy any and all data.

Harper said the he now only carries disposable tech'...

"If authorities ask to see my phone I say 'yes, you can keep it'. That's burned now. I don't want it back."

So it isn't just me. It probably should be you too.

So much for fixing the e-waste problems. <sigh> David

#security #smartphone #laptop #ewaste #harperreed #traveling