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posted by martyb on Monday May 29 2017, @07:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the going-to-need-a-narrower-laptop dept.

In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," [U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John] Kelly said the United States planned to "raise the bar" on airline security, including tightening screening of carry-on items.

"That's the thing that they are obsessed with, the terrorists, the idea of knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly if it's a U.S. carrier, particularly if it's full of U.S. people."

In March, the government imposed restrictions on large electronic devices in aircraft cabins on flights from 10 airports, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Turkey.

Kelly said the move would be part of a broader airline security effort to combat what he called "a real sophisticated threat." He said no decision had been made as to the timing of any ban.

"We are still following the intelligence," he said, "and are in the process of defining this, but we're going to raise the bar generally speaking for aviation much higher than it is now."

Airlines are concerned that a broad ban on laptops may erode customer demand. But none wants an incident aboard one of its airplanes.

Reuters

Fox News has a transcript of the interview (archived copy).

Previous stories:
President Trump Revealed Classified Information to Russia; and Tweets it to the World [Updated]
"Sources" Fear Terrorists will get Past Airport Security with Laptop Bombs
US Bans Tablets and Laptops on Flights From Eight Muslim-Majority Countries


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  • (Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Monday May 29 2017, @09:02PM (6 children)

    by hemocyanin (186) on Monday May 29 2017, @09:02PM (#517309) Journal

    This will never happen on international flights because the Feds love playing peeping tom into digital devices in the Constitution-free zones, and most people don't ensure their electronics are fresh and clean when crossing, despite the occasional ruckus you hear in the media about so-and-so having their phone/laptop/whatever searched.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 29 2017, @09:15PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 29 2017, @09:15PM (#517316)

    That's why they want you to check-in your devices - that way they can examine them at their leisure, as well as put in malware or whatever. Easier to do if the owner's not there to object.

  • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday May 30 2017, @12:50AM (4 children)

    by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday May 30 2017, @12:50AM (#517403) Journal

    Maybe one should install a small gumstix computer that is wired to the external ports. So they can malware all they like.. ;)
    Ie two computers in one shell but pretending to be just one.

    • (Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Tuesday May 30 2017, @04:06AM (3 children)

      by hemocyanin (186) on Tuesday May 30 2017, @04:06AM (#517450) Journal

      Would look awfully suspicious if caught. I think it is just better to take totally clean devices over the border. The rest can be done by ssh or a vpn.

      • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday May 30 2017, @07:09PM (2 children)

        by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday May 30 2017, @07:09PM (#517831) Journal

        How would they catch that? and the problem is not really checking but infection of malware.
        An alternative approach is a computer+disc on a board that is checked in and sealed. While a "sacrifice" board is plugged in. This of course requires a redesign of the internals.

        Besides, I don't recall any rules on how a laptop may be designed?
        (besides the power supply)

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @09:45PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @09:45PM (#517903)

          I don't know how it would happen but weird things DO happen. People get busted for really random reasons at times. So if you modify a computer so that it really contains two computers. one for the benefit of the authorities and one for your private use, it is not an impossibility -- merely an improbability -- that you get caught, and if you do get caught, there is going to be a lot of explaining to do to people who are not willing to believe you merely value your privacy, and those people have guns, cells, black sites, and an enormous sense of self-righteousness.

          • (Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Tuesday May 30 2017, @09:47PM

            by hemocyanin (186) on Tuesday May 30 2017, @09:47PM (#517904) Journal

            The above post is me -- apparently the login while posting doesn't work great.