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I'm traveling to UK for college and I'm bringing 2x2TB drives with me. I'm concerned about my privacy when going through the border as they might search the drives. So I came up with the following things that I can do:

  • Encryption, but UK (and some other countries) has the RIPA; I'll have to surrender my keys if they really want to inspect the content
  • Mail the drives
  • Download the content via SCP (not practical as the data is about 2.8TB)

Also, TrueCrypt died not long ago and suggests BitLocker, which is what I'm already using right now.

Now the real question:

What If I construct a software RAID 0 using ZFS + encrypt the drive. So now they can't really access the drive unless they've got a BSD box with the correct configuration.

An example would be setting up a FreeNAS box in a VM and then setup the 2 HDDs with ZFS; when I travel, I simply don't take the VM files with me. That way, even if border agencies ask for decryption, it would be very hard to actually extract data because of lack of equipment. (And I can't assist them because I don't have the VM with me)

Another way that might work is that I compress my entire data into tar /7z archive that is encrypted. They will just see a big blob of binary and can't really scan it.

TL;DR: If I stored my data on some disk configuration that is not popular(ZFS) or hard to access, will border agencies still try to access my data?

tom91136
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    I would pack them in your checked luggage, and put a bunch of other tech stuff/student stuff in it. I like the idea of using a different file system that Windows won't recognize. But then again you're probably traveling with a computer that will recognize, not sure if they can force you to setup your system or not with RIPA. Best of luck! – RoraΖ Sep 16 '14 at 11:36
  • IANAL, but it seems rather imprudent to ask random strangers on the internet to assist you in violating the law. – MCW Sep 16 '14 at 11:44
  • I believe protecting my privacy is not violating the law. Nobody likes to have their data inspected by border agencies. – tom91136 Sep 16 '14 at 11:46
  • I think we have a question on this already - let me go and search. – Rory Alsop Sep 16 '14 at 12:25
  • I've never been to the UK but I am somehow doubting that they will care enough to actually check your data. Especially if it's encrypted / hidden. Legally it seems they can do the same thing when entering the US but they most they've done for me is make me take the laptop out when I left it in the bag at the scanner (the officer almost broke it in the process because he didn't understand the tilt and slide out method). TLDR They can but most likely won't search it. – Griffin Nowak Sep 16 '14 at 14:24

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If any of your solutions are about the government not knowing how to decrypt or detect a filesystem is wrong. They have equipment to make anything, so don't count on hiding anything from them. If they are suspicious, they can simply confiscate your drives and you will never sww those again.

I would create a encrypted RAID 0 array (or LVM partitions) using both disks, and mail them using separate couriers, on separate dates, to separate destinations. Couriers are less likely to open your mail and read your disks.

ThoriumBR
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  • You might want to add that it should be a RAID 0 where the data is distributed on both drives and not a RAID 1 where the data is mirrored by both. Otherwise sending them separated would be counter-productive, because only one of them would need to be intercepted. – Philipp Sep 16 '14 at 11:39
  • @Philipp Good note. I forgot the *0* part... – ThoriumBR Sep 16 '14 at 11:53