[nekgrim]

1. Backup your documents on Dropbox/GDrive/Whatever (edit: can be you personal server. You can use Truecrypt, and not upload your datas uncrypted. The point is that you must not have the datas on your pc when you pass the border).

2. Wipe your PC.

Optional 2.5. Download a bunch of fake personal files.

3. Pass the border.

4. Access Internet.

5. Download your datas.

[okamiueru]

If you are a political activist, don't backup your files to Dropbox og GDrive, unless it's data you are happy to allow the government to look into. Better to host the files yourself, encrypted with a one-time-pad, for which you have the matching pad with you in a microSD card.

Then, upon reaching your destination, and knowing that no one had access to your random bits in the one-time-pad, download your documents from home, and decrypt it.

No amount of processing power by the NSA will be able to help them get your files, and the only way the bits of your documents pass through the internet, is if you can confirm that the key to decrypt the file hasn't been touched.

[grey-area]

Better just not to travel with your hardware, or if you have to, travel with something throwaway like a netbook without lots of personal data on it.

Otherwise you risk having all your hardware confiscated by border guards and returned months later. Your plan above won't work if they confiscate your hardware as you'll have nothing to download onto.

[Shivetya]

With the recent history of topics here about the NSA having back doors into providers of services how is uploading your data where you suggest actually going to protect you?

If anything, I would go to the point of screwing with border agents by having tens of thousands of pictures of my dogs, kids, flowers, and whatnot, all with naming similar to PICnnnnn or whatever is the current default of most digital cameras. Having them given the wrong doc type would be a nice touch too.

Of course why not store your data on a SD card and just pop it somewhere they are not bound to look?

[logfromblammo]

Make sure you include a few vanilla porn pics and only slightly embarrassing drunken party photos. If they don't find some evidence of vice, they will suspect it was just staged data, and they might keep digging.

[jasomill]

When border patrol agents are looking for narcotics, do you honestly think they pass over the guy carrying rolling papers in favor of the one carrying nothing remotely suspicious due to lack of evidence of vice looking "staged" in the latter case? What's different about a porn- and photo-free hard drive full of boring business reports and uninteresting browser histories?

[logfromblammo]

If they are seizing and searching your laptop, it isn't because you're violating ITAR or carrying dual-use spreadsheets. There are few legitimate reasons why the authorities should be at all interested in the data on your devices when you are entering an area where both free speech and privacy are considered rights.

Among other goals, they are assembling profiles on dissenters, to be used against them later. If you give them something that appears legal but still potentially embarrassing, that's disinformation that might save you from a stronger attack later.

This differs from a narcotics search in that having data on electronic devices is not a crime. They could not perform such a search anywhere but at a border crossing.

[logfromblammo]

Optional 2.75: Install every crapware toolbar available on the Internet, allocate all free disk space to browser cache, and fill it up with obnoxious ads.

Requires a second wipe after step 3, and may get you into trouble, depending on what the crapware does without your input.

[lukasm]

I don't trust these services.

[nekgrim]

"Whatever" can include your personal server. And you can store a truecrypt drive, no need to put your datas uncrypted.