| [Ben]: | A proper, non-violent solution to my post from yesterday | Discuss This [0 comments so far] View Comments | Yesterday I posted about electronic devices being searched at border crossings.
So, here is one potential solution to that problem (with regard to laptops, anyway): TrueCrypt
It's almost like it was made for the purpose:
In case an adversary forces you to reveal your password, TrueCrypt provides and supports two kinds of plausible deniability:
1. Hidden volumes (for more information, see the section Hidden Volume).
2. It is impossible to identify a TrueCrypt volume. Until decrypted, a TrueCrypt volume appears to consist of nothing more than random data (it does not contain any kind of "signature"). Therefore, it is impossible to prove that a file, a partition or a device is a TrueCrypt volume or that it has been encrypted. However, note that for system encryption, the first drive cylinder contains the (unencrypted) TrueCrypt Boot Loader, which can be easily identified as such (for more information, see the chapter System Encryption).
TrueCrypt containers (file-hosted volumes) can have any file extension you like (for example, .raw, .iso, .img, .dat, .rnd, .tc) or they can have no file extension at all. TrueCrypt ignores file extensions. If you need plausible deniability, make sure your TrueCrypt volumes do not have the .tc file extension (this file extension is 'officially' associated with TrueCrypt).
When formatting a hard disk partition as a TrueCrypt volume, the partition table (including the partition type) is never modified (no TrueCrypt “signature” or “ID” is written to the partition table).
Whenever TrueCrypt accesses a file-hosted volume (e.g., when dismounting, attempting to mount, changing or attempting to change the password, creating a hidden volume within it, etc.) or a keyfile, it preserves the timestamp of the container/keyfile (i.e., date and time that the container/keyfile was last accessed* or last modified), unless this behaviour is disabled in the preferences. |
Brilliant! The hidden volume option allows you to keep information safe - and hidden - while literally complying with the Grenztruppen demands that you let them sort through your computer.
And at the same time ... depressing. It sounds like some fantastic software, and certainly worth the price ... but what does it say about our country that this is so useful for crossing the US border? |
| 2008-02-08
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A proper, non-violent solution to my post from yesterday |
