From: Bill Stewart <bill.stewart@pobox.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 10:03:00 +0800
To: Matthew James Gering <cypherpunks@cyberpass.net>
Subject: RE: Computer hard disc scanning by HM Customs & Excise
In-Reply-To: <33CCFE438B9DD01192E800A024C84A192845C6@mossbay.chaffeyhomes.com>
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980909143613.00c51da0@idiom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



>> > Just set the BIOS not to boot to floppy, 
>> If the customs people have any clue, the first thing they do 
>> is hit DEL at the appropriate BIOS prompt
>I think you give them WAY too much credit, not to mention many systems
>give no such prompt. But highly suspect if anything they will check the
>BIOS *after* first not being able to boot to floppy successfully.

Any tax-collector who's illiterate enough to ask "Do you have Internet
on your computer" is probably not going to know what's happening,
especially given the disparity of system boot behaviour.

Some things may get their attention, like the sound card yelling
	"Begin destruct sequence!  10, 9, 8, 7....."
or, more politely, 
	"Stop, thief!  Help, someone is stealing this computer!"
or	"Virus detected.  Please remove the infected diskette
	and contact corporate security for further instructions"
but your basic subtleties like a Linux boot screen and 
copying the diskette to backup and then wiping it are 
beyond the typical border guard's technical training, and 
don't smell interesting enough to get his dog's attention 
(unless there's a good high-pitched tone as well.)

I may post a more thoughtful article about the offensiveness of this
practice or the technical cluelessness, but for now I'll just
rant about the sheer folly of allowing anybody to touch your computer 
whose primary training is in Shouting and looking for people who
match profiles, like Irish accents or obvious wealth or obvious poverty.
				Thanks! 
					Bill
Bill Stewart, bill.stewart@pobox.com
PGP Fingerprint D454 E202 CBC8 40BF  3C85 B884 0ABE 4639