From: ichudov@algebra.com (Igor Chudov @ home)
Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 07:33:22 -0800 (PST)
To: se7en@dis.org (Evil se7en)
Subject: Re: Travelling With Laptops/PGP
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSI.3.91.961205032955.685A-100000@kizmiaz.dis.org>
Message-ID: <199612051519.JAA01171@manifold.algebra.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text


if you are afraid of taking pgp with you, here's a proposed solution: do
not take pgp with you. when you get to spain, download pgp from norway
and recompile.

taking keys should not be a problem.

igor

Evil se7en wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Problem:
> 
> I will be spending a couple of months chilling out in Barcelona, Spain.
> I will have a local Internet account/dial-up in that city, and will use 
> it to telnet into my various US-based accounts. This is how I plan to 
> keep in touch with various people while I am gone.
> 
> Questions:
> 
> 1 - Is the importation of two laptops and it's various peripheral devices 
> by a US citizen into Spain going to be a problem? I know it is in some 
> European countries.
> 
> 2 - Will having PGP 2.6.2, with 2048-bit keys, or any key length for this 
> matter, installed on these two machines, cause a problem?
> 
> 3 - What about having SSH and ESM installed on the laptops? Will this set 
> off red flags as well?
> 
> Now, I see a work around if this is a problem, but would like advice on 
> this also:
> 
> If I generate a temporary PGP key, and distribute it prior to my departure,
> and then store it on the US-based server (not a good idea, but it is a 
> temporary key, and if it is not a problem in Spain, SSH and ESM would be in 
> use) then bouncing out of Spain via telnet into US-based computers to 
> process encryption/decryption, key management, etc, any encryption would 
> never actually take place on servers outside of the US. 
> 
> Would this be a viable workaround? Or should I just say fuck it, and just 
> disavow myself of any reason/need for PGP for the duration of my stay? If 
> this is gonna be a problem, I'll just forego anything requiring 
> encryption while I am in Spain.
> 
> I have no interest in smuggling crypto in, or defying international law 
> just to use PGP for personal use. If it's not allowed, I simply won't use 
> it. But, I MUST be able to bring my laptops into the country. That HAS to 
> happen.
> 
> My Research: I tried to find these answers myself via conventioanl 
> methods, and either there was no information available, or the embassy 
> people I spoke to weren't sure. (Go figure!) So now I ask for your 
> opinions. 
> 
> se7en
> 



	- Igor.