Textbook case in the battle for secure borders
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Regarding “Laptop seizure raises concerns over firms’ data,” Business Itinerary, Nov. 4:
Once, while crossing the Mexican border at Calexico, I was detained as Michael Timothy Arnold was, because I had with me a Russian textbook on chemistry.
Although I complained to the U.S. Customs supervisor, he refused to answer my questions about being targeted because of the Russian book.
He said it was just routine, because I fit the profile.
Even Russian customs officers do not stoop to these low-level practices.
Richard Ivey
Moscow
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All files containing sensitive, confidential or embarrassing data should be encrypted. For personal use, encryption software is generally free.
On my personal computer, the following files are encrypted: a list of my credit cards and bank accounts, copies of my credit reports and my tax returns.
Encryption software is neither difficult to learn nor tedious to use.
David E. Ross
Oak Park
The writer has posted a layman’s view of encryption at www.rossde.com/PGP/index .html.
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