Laptop Ban coming to Europe

The proposed new ban on travelling from Europe to the US with a laptop, or a tablet, is going to be a real problem for business travel. From a IP standpoint, it's far safer to bring your data with you, on an encrypted laptop, than to tap into WiFi and update on a cloud.

It would seem that the amount of explosive needed to damage a plane would easily fit into a laptop case. The question is: Why now?

What specific threats are being addressed here. Could they just have the laptop power up as a means to show it's not a bomb?

www.bloomberg.com...

Imagine going to an international sales meeting with only your phone. How about reviewing your global suppliers with no computer. I think this will hurt US businesses and hurt the airlines.

eh, if that happens, it's another victory for terrorists, little by little they gain ground, as we lose our liberties...

I doubt this has to do with any actual safety concerns, it's just a little more tightening of the rope.

A couple of memory sticks would be able to hold all the Data you need. That is not a problem.

Funny now the reception, so far, seems like it will be different about this now that it will affect European countries. That is as opposed to ME countries where the news went by mostly without objection.

Stick the memory sticks in a jiffy bag and send them ahead of you and turn up with a minty fresh looking lappy and after 5 mins of finding it so fresh it could almost be called organic at customs you'll be laughing.

Good gosh. People and their titles, I swear.

Come on people, we are winning the nonsensical 'War on Terra'!!

I always thank my lucky stars when I hear the snap of the latex glove. Internal, really??

a reply to: cosmania

I agree it is a serious problem. Makes me wonder if this will extend to private aviation.

What with the miseries of commercial aviation it also makes me wonder why all the flying anyway whe conferences and such can be done over the interet?

a reply to: cosmania

A non issue.

you can securely vpn into a remote pc to do any work you need to do.

originally posted by: cosmania
What specific threats are being addressed here. Could they just have the laptop power up as a means to show it's not a bomb?

According to this article, it does pertain to explosives being brought through security.

However, I find it completely unnecessary. All the safe-guards put into place with these bans only annoy travelers and put forth a false sense of security. Any small group of people with a motive, minimal financing and half a brain could hijack/blow up a plane. Banning laptops and tablets will not stop them.

originally posted by: grey580
a reply to: cosmania

A non issue.

you can securely vpn into a remote pc to do any work you need to do.

It would still suck because one would have to have computers on 2 different continents.

originally posted by: grey580
a reply to: cosmania

A non issue.

you can securely vpn into a remote pc to do any work you need to do.

Sometimes your connection is too flaky for VPN to be stable, I deal with that weekly across my state, depending on location and ISP.

As for taking the data with you in HDD or other drive, the PC you end up on at the destination could be compromised and/or not have specific purchased programs installed, like Adobe pro or Photoshop, etc.

Its a mess alright

a reply to: cosmania

Ok, so can I enter the US from Seoul with my laptop and not break any rules?

originally posted by: Doxanoxa
Ok, so can I enter the US from Seoul with my laptop and not break any rules?

This is the United States of America, for Pete's sake.

It is a guarantee that at some point, once you and your laptop enter, you will break a rule and then the police will shoot you. Go visit your neighbor to the north, it's safer.

a reply to: rickymouse
What are you going to do with them without a computer?

originally posted by: cosmaniaCould they just have the laptop power up as a means to show it's not a bomb?

Way back in the late 1990's when I first started traveling with a laptop, TSA always made you power it up. When they saw the boot screen, they were happy. It was a real pain but only a few people had them so it didn't slow down the line much. Now a days, just about everyone has a laptop, tablet or both.

Not gonna happen. Lots of companies would just pull out of the US

originally posted by: LogicalGraphitti

originally posted by: cosmaniaCould they just have the laptop power up as a means to show it's not a bomb?

Way back in the late 1990's when I first started traveling with a laptop, TSA always made you power it up. When they saw the boot screen, they were happy. It was a real pain but only a few people had them so it didn't slow down the line much. Now a days, just about everyone has a laptop, tablet or both.

And nowdays the physical architecture required to reach that boot screen and even be a fully functional device can fit within something no bigger than a deck of cards. It wouldn't take a lot for someone to gut out a laptop case, replacing the guts with the internals of an Android phone, and freeing up a great deal of dead space within said case.

I'll be honest here because it's what I do... the business travelers told everyday Americans to just shut up and take it when the TSA started their policy of same sex pre-flight grope down and virtual molestation some years ago. John Q. Suitwearer was OK with having his body fondled as long as it meant he'd reach the seminar in Topeka on time... So, as a guy who isn't particularly beholden to being electronically connected everytime I turn around (not to mention as someone who despises flying commercially and hasn't flown out of the state of Alaska or gone through TSA in nearly 8 years), I hope these business travelers enjoy their personal hell "for the sake of security" the same way they dismissed those of us complaining about the intrusive enhanced grope downs they said were "for the sake of security."

originally posted by: RedDragon
Not gonna happen. Lots of companies would just pull out of the US

Yes, many will abandon the largest national consumer market and highest GDP nation on Earth over convenience of their employees' being able to carry on their computers rather than check them at the gate...