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Never Fly Internationally with Your Personal Phone

I always fly internationally with a burner phone, no need to risk my personal data when I can’t even use my phone anyway.

Here is a scary story in Trump’s America.

Published

4 months ago

August 7, 2023

Brady Pearson

I always fly internationally with a burner phone, no need to risk my personal data when I can’t even use my phone anyway.

Here is a scary story in Trump’s America.

On January 30th, Sidd Bikkannavar, a US-born scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory flew back to Houston, Texas from Santiago, Chile.

On his way through the airport, Customs and Border Patrol agents pulled him aside. They searched him, then detained him in a room with a bunch of other people sleeping in cots. They eventually returned and said they’d release him if he told them the password to unlock his phone.

Bikkannavar explained that the phone belonged to NASA and had sensitive information on it, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. He eventually yielded and unlocked his phone. The agents left with his phone. Half an hour later, they returned, handed him his phone, and released him.

We’re going to discuss the legality of all of this, and what likely happened during that 30 minutes where Bikkannavar’s phone was unlocked and outside of his possession.

But before we do, take a moment to think about all the apps you have on your phone. Email? Facebook? Dropbox? Your browser? Signal? The history of everything you’ve ever done — everything you’ve ever searched, and everything you’ve ever said to anyone — is right there in those apps.

“We should treat personal electronic data with the same care and respect as weapons-grade plutonium — it is dangerous, long-lasting and once it has leaked there’s no getting it back.” — Cory Doctorow

How many potentially incriminating things do you have lying around your home? If you’re like most people, the answer is probably zero. And yet police would need to go before a judge and establish probable cause before they could get a warrant to search your home.

What we’re seeing now is that anyone can be grabbed on their way through customs and forced to hand over the full contents of their digital life.

Companies like Elcomsoft make “forensic software” that can suck down all your photos, contacts — even passwords for your email and social media accounts — in a matter of minutes. Their customers include the police forces of various countries, militaries, and private security forces. They can use these tools to permanently archive everything there is to know about you. All they need is your unlocked phone.

“If one would give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest man, I would find something in them to have him hanged.” — Cardinal Richelieu in 1641

What’s the worst thing that could happen if the Customs and Border Patrol succeed in getting a hold of your unlocked phone? Well…

Think of all of the people you’ve ever called or emailed, and all the people you’re connected with on Facebook and LinkedIn. What are the chances that one of them has committed a serious crime, or will do so in the future?
Have you ever taken a photo at a protest, bought a controversial book on Amazon, or vented about an encounter with a police officer to a loved one? That information is now part of your permanent record, and could be dragged out as evidence against you if you ever end up in court.
There’s a movement within government to make all data from all departments available to all staff at a local, state, and federal level. The more places your data ends up, the larger a hacker’s “attack surface” is — that is, the more vulnerable your data is. A security breach in a single police station in the middle of nowhere could result in your data ending up in the hands of hackers — and potentially used against you from the shadows — for the rest of your life.

Wait a second. What about my fourth and fifth-amendment rights? Isn’t this illegal?

The fourth-amendment protects you against unreasonable search and seizure. The fifth-amendment protects you against self-incrimination.

If a police officer were to stop you on the street of America and ask you to unlock your phone and give it to them, these amendments would give you strong legal ground for refusing to do so.

But unfortunately, the US border isn’t technically the US, and you don’t have either of these rights at the border.

It’s totally legal for a US Customs and Border Patrol officer to ask you to unlock your phone and hand it over to them. And they can detain you indefinitely if you don’t. Even if you’re an American citizen.

The border is technically outside of US jurisdiction, in a sort of legal no-man’s-land. You have very few rights there. Barring the use of “excessive force,” agents can do whatever they want to you.

So my advice is to just do whatever they tell you, to and get through customs and on into the US as quickly as you can.

The US isn’t the only country that does this.

It’s only a matter of time before downloading the contents of people’s phones becomes a standard procedure for entering every country. This already happens in Canada. And you can bet that countries like China and Russia aren’t far behind.

“Never say anything in an electronic message that you wouldn’t want appearing, and attributed to you, in tomorrow morning’s front-page headline in the New York Times.” — Colonel David Russell, former head of DARPA’s Information Processing Techniques Office

Since it’s illegal in most countries to profile individual travelers, customs officers will soon require everyone to do this.

The companies who make the software that downloads data from your phones are about to get a huge infusion of money from governments. Their software will get much faster — maybe requiring only a few seconds to download all of your most pertinent data from your phone.

If we do nothing to resist, pretty soon everyone will have to unlock their phone and hand it over to a customs agent while they’re getting their passport swiped.

Over time, this unparalleled intrusion into your personal privacy may come to feel as routine as taking off your shoes and putting them on a conveyer belt.

And with this single new procedure, all the hard work that Apple and Google have invested in encrypting the data on your phone — and fighting for your privacy in court — will be a completely moot point.

Governments will have succeeded in utterly circumventing decades of innovation in security and privacy protection. All by demanding you hand them the skeleton key to your life — your unlocked phone.

You can’t hand over a device that you don’t have.

When you travel internationally, you should leave your mobile phone and laptop at home. You can rent phones at most international airports that include data plans.

If you have family overseas, you can buy a second phone and laptop and leave them there at their home.

If you’re an employer, you can create a policy that your employees are not to bring devices with them during international travel. You can then issue them “loaner” laptops and phones once they enter the country.

Since most of our private data is stored in the cloud — and not on individual devices — you could also reset your phone to its factory settings before boarding an international flight. This process will also delete the keys necessary to unencrypt any residual data on your phone (iOS and Android fully encrypt your data).

This way, you could bring your physical phone with you, then reinstall apps and re-authenticate with them once you’ve arrived. If you’re asked to hand over your unlocked phone at the border, there won’t be any personal data on it. All your data will be safe behind the world-class security that Facebook, Google, Apple, Signal, and all these other companies use.

Is all this inconvenient? Absolutely. But it’s the only sane course of action when you consider the gravity of your data falling into the wrong hands.

If you bother locking your doors at night, you should bother securing your phone’s data during international travel.

This may upset Customs and Border Patrol agents, who are probably smart enough to realize that 85% of Americans now have smart phones, and probably 100% of the Americans who travel internationally have smart phones. They may choose to detain you anyway, and force you to give them passwords to various accounts manually. But there’s no easy way for them to know which services you use and which services you don’t use, or whether you have multiple accounts.

We live in an era of mass surveillance, where governments around the world are passing terrifying new anti-privacy laws every year.

“Those who are willing to surrender their freedom for security have always demanded that if they give up their full freedom it should also be taken from those not prepared to do so.” — Friedrich Hayek

With a lot of hard work on our part, enlightenment will triumph. Privacy will be restored. And we will beat back the current climate of fear that’s confusing people into unnecessarily giving up their rights.

In the meantime, follow the Boy Scouts of America Motto: always be prepared. The next time you plan to cross a border, leave your phone at home.

Thank you for taking the time to reading this. If you liked this, click the below so other people will see this here on Medium.

Photos courtesy of OneIndia, USCustoms, youtube, travelskills, guardian, personal, laptopmag

Full article here

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Get Furnished Homes With The Help of a Reliable Real Estate Agent

Published

4 hours ago

December 5, 2023

Adam T

Furnished homes

Our real estate agent has been in Lahore, Pakistan, for the past 15 years. IHArent provides many renting furnished homes in DHA Lahore with the assistance of our experience.

Well! Some were students looking for a studio apartment in Lahore to live alone, while others were looking for furnished apartments to live in with their families.

With the help of a real estate agent, furnished homes in Lahore can be located

We also had to arrange furnished apartments for rent for a large number of individuals so that they could enjoy their stay in Lahore for a very short period.

In simple words, when people come to us as real estate agents, our responsibility is to find a furnished house in Lahore for our clients to rent out as per their requirements.

You can rent furnished homes from a real estate agent

So, many people think that the duty of a real estate agent is very easy. Real agents just have to provide rent homes in any specified location.

For example, if we are working as a real estate agent in Lahore then we just must provide apartments for rent in Lahore to the people, who are looking for them.

It is not that simple. Real estate agents have to work for people, especially those people who do have no their own homes they need a home. The big thing is finding out the renting furnished houses according to your affordable range.

When used properly, categories of furnished residences

To reach our goals more efficiently, we are constantly attempting to advertise the property in the most effective manner possible. We classified the rent of the furnished property based on the marls.

For example, if someone wants to search for a DHA house for rent, he can get a list of every completely furnished house for rent in DHA Lahore and choose one of his options.

Get in touch with a reliable real estate agent to find a furnished home for rent in Lahore Pakistan

People, especially in Pakistan’s Lahore, desire to locate a furnished home close by. If this applies to you should speak with a reputable real estate agent to locate a furnished home for rent in Lahore Pakistan.

Do not be concerned, finding such a service provider is not difficult, especially if you have access to the internet.

For example, so many people have no idea about the right place where they can go for finding the renting furnished home.

Resources and connections

Our Real estate agents play an important role for collaborate with people and trying to fulfill their actual needs and want about renting furnished home.

If a problem emerges during a transaction, they can propose the finest professional to assist their renters. It is the main resource for saving valuable time and energy.

Negotiation Skills

Making and accepting an offer, as well as conducting inspections and repairs, are all processes in a real estate transaction.

Our agent is attentive to their client’s budget and our agent will set a listing price that not only attracts numerous but also recognizes the property’s value.

Conclusion

IHARent

IHARent real estate agent deals involve a tremendous deal of planning and effort. Going after such deals without the help of an expert is dangerous. A real estate agent helps renters during a financial transaction. Moreover, save your time and energy.

With the help of our expertise in the real estate business and negotiation skills, qualified support the client in obtaining a good deal at a reasonable price.

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Michigan’s Five Biggest Snowstorms

Published

1 month ago

October 22, 2023

Adam T

The last time Michigan had a snowy Christmas morning was in 2017. This year, people in Michigan are hoping, once more, to get a snowy Christmas. And while the hopes are running high, Gander Newsroom, a Courier Newsroom publication, recently wrote about some of Michigan’s worst snowstorms.

The Upper Peninsula Snowstorm, 2022

Only eight months ago Michigan was thrashed was a snowstorm that lasted two days. The snowstorm impacted Marquette and surrounding areas in the Upper Peninsula. The storm started on Feb 21, and a total of 37.1 inches of snowfall was recorded. Several roads had to be closed because of complete whiteouts and negative temperatures. Luckily for Michigan’s residents, there were no strong winds and that kept the damage to a minimum.

The Great Blizzard, 1978

This storm is an anomaly on the list because it was not one but two storms at the same time. One coming from the Gulf of Mexico and the other from Canada. The two collided to form a slow-moving blizzard. In Muskegon, this snowstorm dropped 30 inches of snow, and averaged 10 inches elsewhere in the state, stated the article by the Courier Newsroom publication. This storm proved to be quite fatal as it took the lives of 20 people in Michigan.

The Blizzard, 1967

The winter of 1967 was unusual because it was one of the warmest on record. In fact, the state also received its first thunderstorm in January. With temperatures in the high 50s, when this blizzard rolled in, it inevitably took Michiganders by surprise. The snowstorm caused Michigan University to halt classes for the first time in over 100 years. More than a dozen people pushing stalled cars and shoveling snow died because of heart attacks. The storm dumped 15 inches across 80 miles and impacted Mitten, Benton Harbor, Harbor Beach, and Williamston.

Summer Squalls, 1923

Nothing is more unpredictable than snow in summer, but this is exactly what happened in the summer of 1923. On May 8, 1923, just when Michiganders were unrolling their summer clothes and preparing for boat trips on the beach, temperatures suddenly dropped. Within a night, much of the state was covered under an inch of snow and it kept coming the next day. By the time it stopped snowing, most of Michigan was covered in 6-9 inches of snow, The Gander Newsroom reported, a Courier Newsroom publication. Frigid temperatures continued for a few more days after the first snowfall. Lansing and Flint were impacted the most with a full foot of snow being dumped. This snowstorm, luckily, did not cause any property damage or pose a risk to people’s lives. It only gave an unsavory start to summer.

White Hurricane, 1913

This snowstorm is perhaps the only one on this list with a truly intimidating name and rightly so because this was one big snowstorm. This is, without a doubt, the deadliest storm in Michigan’s history. The White Hurricane lasted for 4 days, blasting winds exceeding 90 mph. These winds were responsible for whiteout conditions and massive drifts, with waves reaching 30 ft. The storm sunk 12 ships, damaged 30, and five went missing. According to the National Weather Service, the damage caused by the storm would amount to $117 million today.

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Types of entrepreneurs + examples

Published

2 months ago

October 19, 2023

Adam T

There are different types of entrepreneurs , because independent businesses are today. However, things are not as easy as we would like. Despite that, of course it’s worth venturing out and getting started. For this, it is important to be clear about the types of entrepreneurship and the types of entrepreneurs that exist. Here you will meet them and you will be able to detect which of them you are or want to be. First we are going to address the types of entrepreneurship and then the types of entrepreneurs and some examples so that the subject is more than clear.

What is an entrepreneur?

An entrepreneurial person is one capable of taking risks and assuming them, with the aim of building a company or shaping a project to generate income. The main goal of any entrepreneur is to have something of their own that helps them obtain not only economic benefits, but also personal and emotional ones. To do this, they have to be innovative and have leadership .

Main characteristics of entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are not born being strategists or having everything necessary to detect opportunities. They must go on training and gaining experience to become true entrepreneurs. Some of the characteristics of entrepreneurs are the following.

1. They are highly motivated

Business opportunities are like life for entrepreneurs, but when that desire and spirit fade (it’s normal), they are able to continue with their projects because of the discipline they manage to develop. These are people willing to dedicate a lot of time and the necessary resources to bring their project to fruition, always knowing that it can take several months to get off the ground.

2. They are creative

Creativity cannot be absent in entrepreneurial people, since it is what allows them to respond to the needs of society in a unique and different way. Only from this characteristic can they establish new products that are superior to those that already exist in the market, having opportunities to position them.

3. They are moved by passion

Another of the great characteristics of entrepreneurs is passion, since the road is usually hard and there are always challenges before and during the journey, so they must have the ability to motivate themselves through passion for their projects. Entrepreneurs are usually moved by a strong desire to be different from the rest and to be able to provide an innovative product that offers solutions that are much more focused on their target audience.

4. They are not afraid of risk

Entrepreneurship always carries risks, so people who want to start a project must be willing to run them, accept them and always work to solve them. When you undertake, uncertainty is a constant factor and you have to be aware of it and see everything as an opportunity to achieve your goals, without fear.

5. They are self-confident people

Without this feature, it is almost impossible for a person to start a project from scratch and achieve success. Regardless of the type of entrepreneur they are, they must have confidence in themselves and in the product they want to launch. Only then will they be able to stand firm despite the problems that may arise and turn them around to achieve their goals.

What are the types of entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship, in general, is the process by which a company is planned, developed and launched, but there are different types of entrepreneurship. People have diverse aspirations and visions about the business they want to create and factors such as personality, characteristics and abilities come into play in the development, which determines the type of venture in question. Each type of entrepreneur, although they must face similar challenges, definitely addresses them differently, for this reason, there is a classification of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship.

5 types of entrepreneurship

The classifications vary, but I am going to address eight types of entrepreneurship that I consider to be the most important. Let’s go to them.

1. Small Business Entrepreneurship

Much of the business that exists today is small business. These are companies that simply seek to generate income to support their family and be able to have a modest lifestyle. The objective is not to obtain profits on a large scale, but to bet on a sustainable business with the help of local personnel. For example, shops, hairdressers, small boutiques, among others.

2. Entrepreneurship of large companies

This type of entrepreneurship is sought by much more experienced people who know how to seek and sustain innovation at a high level. Large companies focus on needs with high demand and that are important to consumers. Some such companies are Google, Microsoft, Apple and Disney.

3. Scalable startup business

When you bet on a scalable start-up venture, it is because you have the belief that the company in question has strong potential to change the world at some point. Generally, these projects receive financing from venture capitalists and have specialized personnel. The focus of these companies is to detect opportunities and create solutions. Among the most popular scalable startups are Uber and Facebook.

4. Social entrepreneurship

Here, more than an economic benefit, it seeks to solve social problems through products and services. The main objective is to make the world a much better space. You do not work to earn a large income or fill bank accounts, but to build non-profit organizations or a company that works for the social good to improve the quality of life of a community.

5. Technological entrepreneurship

As its name suggests, this type of entrepreneurship is related to science and technology. It is about launching new products with a great impact within the market. Due to the above, they require strong capital, which they obtain through government or private entities, which are in charge of providing everything necessary for the product to be launched on the market as quickly as possible.