OrlandoSentinel.com
Biz travelers beware: agents can seize laptops
Beth Kassab

Sentinel Staff Writer

April 23, 2008

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives on Wednesday issued a warning to business travelers to watch how much proprietary information they store on laptops they carry when crossing U.S. borders.

The warning follows a decision by a federal appeals court on Monday that gives customs agents the authority to examine, copy and seize travelers' laptops without reasonable suspicion, according to the press release.

Here's the advice the association is handing out to travelers in light of the ruling:

1) That you should not carry any confidential, personal information that you do not want examined by third parties on your computer – or other electronic devices. This includes financial data, photographs, and email stored on computers, wireless phones, Blackberries, or iPod-type devices.

2) That you should limit the amount of proprietary business information you carry on your computer, and that it be transmitted before crossing the border so you have access to it in the event your unit is seized.

3) If your laptop also serves as your major home computer, get another one for travel purposes.

4) The Association of Corporate Travel Executives is not advising travelers to hide data from U.S. border authorities, but to take steps to minimize the impact of its loss, or the inability to access it, in the event it is seized.