From: Jim Choate <ravage@einstein.ssz.com>

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From: "Albert P. Franco, II" <apf2@ctv.es>

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I can't imagine that anyone that wasn't already sure that you were playing tricks with the HD would be able to detect either of these on a normal startup. Again I think the key is that it would vastly expensive and very time consuming for customs services to make more than a cursory check. More and more people are carrying notebooks with them on trips and just like most bag searching has ended due to very fast, but not perfect, technology, notebook scanning is limited by the very important public factor--the people waiting in line behind you will tend to get very anxious. :)

That's a rationale for doing TEMPEST scanning I hadn't thought of. Since it is time consuming and takes special training (which means higher personel budgets that don't amortise over time like hardware) to operate a floppy scanner and interpet the results there are budget forces involved.

I snipped the rest, but your point ignores that they still have to scan my hard drive for what they are looking for. So TEMPEST on top of the other measures just makes things slower. Also the vast variety of computers and clock speeds on the market today would make a 30 byte (10-20 clock cycles ... )BIOS patch virtually undetectable. Again...UNLESS they want YOU in particular. I would be more concerned about a Unix-like OS on their disk-following THEM to bypass my BIOS to read the HD. Of course, perhaps another way around this may be to carry a couple copies of an NDA and an Acceptance of Liability for Damages Caused contract. Tell the stooge at the counter that your machine contains highly valuable commercial information and that if it's damaged in any way, shape or form he/she will be held personally liable. Offer the two documents for his/her signature as you explain that since the procedure they intend to use is so fool proof (the stooge is sure to quote the party line...) this would only strengthen your case that damage or discloser to/of contents must be a direct result of negligence or criminal intent on the part of the stooge. "If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit." It works for Clinton! Al Franco, II