Enter VeraCrypt. It’s a free, open source encryption app that can encrypt full drives, as well as operating system partitions, similar to BitLocker or FileVault. The big feature of VeraCrypt is plausible deniability. There are specific setup steps, but you can store an encrypted partition within an encrypted partition.
When you encrypt a drive with VeraCrypt, it writes random data to any free space available on the drive. Within that free space, you can set up another encrypted volume with a different password. It’ll appear as random data, just as if you didn’t have anything written in the free space.
VeraCrypt is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Alternatives are available for iOS and Android, as well, but I haven’t tested those myself. You shouldn’t need to set up VeraCrypt on your laptop, and if you do, you might want to reconsider traveling with it in the first place. But if you need protection regardless of the hassle, it’s a good option to consider.
You Still Need Some Digital Housekeeping
1Password and Travel Mode are great, and VeraCrypt is a useful tool to keep in your back pocket. But there’s a lot of other data on your phone that could cause issues that neither of them helps with. Photos, messages, and even apps you have installed could all cause problems, so it’s a good idea to either travel with a secondary device or clean up your primary device.
“The general principle of data minimization can go a long way,” Budington says. “Try to thoughtfully consider what is important to take with you, and what can be left behind. Then, try to minimize what you take with you across the border to only the essentials. If you are taking a vacation, do you really need that work laptop with you?”
For data minimization, Budington pointed to removing data from your device. You can use Travel Mode for some of that data, along with “a backup service which is protected by a passphrase you know and can recall if you need to.”
After you’re done storing what you need in the cloud, make sure to log out of your account. CBP’s official policy is that it can’t search data stored in the cloud, but a lot of storage services will keep a local copy when disconnected from the internet. WIRED spoke with several experts about how to protect yourself at the US border in June, and I recommend following their guidance.
How to Protect Yourself From Phone Searches at the US Border
Customs and Border Protection has broad authority to search travelers’ devices when they cross into the United States. Here’s what you can do to protect your digital life while at the US border.
If you don’t have 1Password yet, you can get started for less with a 1Password coupon code.
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