Here’s what you need to know now about US Customs searches of your phone

This seems to be the most rational choice excluding keeping it disassembled in checked baggage with SD cards separate. If this leads to checking computers we're going to have an issue.

SGT (Join to see) - Exactly. The advice in the article seems odd. Factory reset it and then restore it on the other end? No thanks.

But I agree with you. If this is the start and TSA can start checking laptops than we're going to have issues. What about if I use my laptop to host various VMs with different tools on them for different jobs? Are they going to be allowed to check each VM too?

Maj (Join to see) - To quote the article, "Pandora's box". And that becomes a bigger issue if you have anything remoting or logging into job-related systems. Nevermind email.

SGT (Join to see) - Exactly. Or God forbid you have something like Kali or BlackArch installed. You'd be branded a cyber terrorist.

PO1 John Crafton - Not a US vessel in port, you wouldn't. So I stand by my point. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, Naval VBBS teams require a CG component, do they not? Furthermore, I'm pretty sure you could NOT board a US-flagged merchant vessel without one. Finally, the CG could do that anyway, so the risk isn't any different.

PO1 John Crafton - I don't see how that's possible unless you're at war. Without the CG component, you have no law enforcement authority. When my ship did drug ops, we had to take on a contingent of CG. Anyway, I'll just fall back on experience rather than what-ifs. I've never seen any US-flagged merchant boarded by anyone but the coasties, and I've never seen them inspect phones.

PO1 John Crafton - Well I take your word for it, of course, but I don't know where the authority comes from. It's gotta come from somewhere. Edit: Also, I didn't mean to imply you were giving me what-ifs. Merely that the situation was. I have no doubt about your experience.