Flying With Your Tech

Flying With Your Tech

-Air Date: Tuesday August 1, 2017-

Starting this month, Canadian travelers to the United States could be subject to heightened screening when passing through airport security. These new measures were announced at the end of June by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, but offered few details about what exactly this heightened screening might entail. 


With these new security changes what should people with tech expect at the airport if they decide to travel to the U.S.?

The way it works now, travelers going through airport security might be randomly selected for additional screening, or you might also undergo additional screening if you or your belongings trigger a metal detector or X-ray alarm. That might mean letting a screening officer physically search through your bag, or swab your belongings for traces of explosive materials.

The difference now, according to CATSA(Canadian Air Transport Security Authority ), is that travellers might also be randomly selected to remove electronic devices larger than smartphones — think tablets and e-readers — from their carry-on baggage and present them for additional screening, too. That would involve removing any protective casing around devices to allow for a more thorough physical inspection and proving to officers that the device can be turned on. Laptops will still have to be removed from bags and placed in bins individually as before.


Do you think any of the data on our devices would be at risk?

No more than usual.

With respect to travelling by vehicle cross boarders you need to keep in mind that refusal to unlock your device or give a U.S.  Boarder agent your password if they deem it necessary could deny you entry into the country. And while Canadian boarder officers can’t deny Canadian citizens entry back into Canada, refusal to co-operate could result in the seizure of your device.

With respect to airport security inspectors, they would normally be just tasked with examining the physical integrity of the device itself — looking for signs that a tablet or laptop has been modified or tampered with, with the intent to cause harm. They’re not going to be looking at the content of the device, and they’re not going to ask you to input your password or look at files. That’s not the intent.


What’s the bottom line here?

All travellers — even those flying within Canada — should be prepared to have their devices examined. That means charging devices before arriving at the airport, and ensuring that protective cases can be easily removed, or even better, removed ahead of time.

Electronic devices that cannot be taken out of their cases or powered on when requested during enhanced screening will not be permitted beyond the screening checkpoint,” according to Canadian Air Transport Security Authority’s site.

If all this sounds familiar, it’s because there was a time when screening officers could ask travellers to power on devices such as laptops, and this practice was discontinued for several years — until now.

And don’t forget that airlines are advising travellers to get to the airport two hours before their scheduled flight to the U.S., to allow time for the screening.


Is there a online resource that people can refer to for further information?

Yes, if you head over to the CATSA (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority ) at http://www.catsa.gc.ca/ you can find out much more on what you can bring on your flight, further security screening details, current flight wait times, and lots more travel tips.

thedigitalteacher

 

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