Let more banning begin!

JimNtexas said:
From friends who are airline pilots and some who are cyber security types, the rumors I've put together are:

1) Bad guys could link several laptops together to all explode at once, and perhaps to breach the cockpit door.

2) Bad guys have been able to utilize the stored energy in laptop batteries to make powerful bombs out of working laptops without adding a lot of extra explosive material.

I can confirm that these are certified rumors.
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I'm an airline guy and have heard nothing of the sort.
They don't generally tell us these things so I would question this.
 
Ghery said:
You don't travel for business. Or work for a company that says "thou shalt NOT check your company laptop in baggage". For good reason, it will get stolen. I understand your concern, and share it. However, the FAs will be happy to deal with it for you if the person failing to use a headset is bothering you. I haven't heard the keyboard in a laptop being a problem. And I've sat next to people using them, too.
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Laptop stolen. Data stolen from the hard drive/ssd. Government agency retrieves all data out of your sight. Malware, spyware, or government hacking tool installed on your computer out of your sight.

What could go wrong?

People forget PA103.

I also worked for a company that not only required that laptops not be checked and all international travel required "clean" loaner electronics that were wiped and even the BIOS replaced after each trip. I know of one Corp exec that had his laptop go missing after the TSA supervisor at LGA required that it be checked or no boarding.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
Large electronics banned to be banned from all USA international flights?
More reliable link below...

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/...xpand-to-all-international-flights-kelly-says
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I watched that interview. Kelly placed some of the blame on airline checked-baggage fees, albeit in a left-handed sort of way. People are cramming too much **** into their carry-ons to avoid the checked-baggage fees, which makes it more difficult for TSA screeners to screen them.

To me, it also begs the question of why the fees aren't abolished like so many other things have been banned in the name of "security." I doubt there would be a whole lot of public uproar over it.

As for the laptops, if a ban goes into effect, a cottage industry of rental laptops could spring up. They would come in configurations to suit the vast majority of travelers and would come with a boot disk or drive that would allow the user to hard-wipe the drive before turning it it. It would then be re-imaged before the next rental. It would take minutes using a good SSD.

Users could download their data onto the machines over the Interwebs, carry it on flash drives, or access it via VPN. The same companies providing the laptop rental could even offer online data storage.

Kelly also hinted at new technology possibly ameliorating some of these problems. There's really no reason why carry-on laptops can't be scanned for explosives. Someone just needs to build a machine that's small enough and fast enough to do it reliably at the passenger checkpoint.

Rich
 
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The bombers already found methods to get around airline security. They're called subways, malls, etc.
 
RJM62 said:
I watched that interview. Kelly placed some of the blame on airline checked-baggage fees, albeit in a left-handed sort of way. People are cramming too much **** into their carry-ons to avoid the checked-baggage fees, which makes it more difficult for TSA screeners to screen them.

To me, it also begs the question of why the fees aren't abolished like so many other things have been banned in the name of "security." I doubt there would be a whole lot of public uproar over it.
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Agreed on this.

RJM62 said:
As for the laptops, if a ban goes into effect, a cottage industry of rental laptops could spring up. They would come in configurations to suit the vast majority of travelers and would come with a boot disk or drive that would allow the user to hard-wipe the drive before turning it it. It would then be re-imaged before the next rental. It would take minutes using a good SSD.

Users could download their data onto the machines over the Interwebs, carry it on flash drives, or access it via VPN. The same companies providing the laptop rental could even offer online data storage.
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That would work for some people, not so much for others. I have a bit more than the usual office software with me specific for some lab equipment. It's a bit of a pain to install it as needed. Those users would need to configure their e-mail as well to connect to the corporate servers. We use computers with encrypted drives and a second log-in over a phone since some divisions with with the military. Shipping computers internationally gets expensive.

RJM62 said:
Kelly also hinted at new technology possibly ameliorating some of these problems. There's really no reason why laptops can't be scanned for explosives at the gate. Someone just needs to build a machine that's small enough and fast enough to do it reliably at the point of boarding.

Rich
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I hope so. It isn't just laptops...cameras and tablets too. The other thing is why just international flights? Any conversion that weaponizes a tablet that could be done overseas could be done here for a domestic flight as well. I read "point of boarding"- did you mean screening with the rest of the carry-on stuff at the existing check points?
 
RJM62 said:
I watched that interview....

There's really no reason why laptops can't be scanned for explosives at the gate. Someone just needs to build a machine that's small enough and fast enough to do it reliably at the point of boarding.
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Why would they scan our carry-on items at the gate instead of where they're already screening it?
 
Reading the header I thought Henning might be back . . . I've been away.
 
NoHeat said:
Why would they scan our carry-on items at the gate instead of where they're already screening it?
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It should have been "checkpoint," not "gate." What I meant was rather than as checked baggage.

Rich
 
Cap'n Jack said:
Agreed on this.


That would work for some people, not so much for others. I have a bit more than the usual office software with me specific for some lab equipment. It's a bit of a pain to install it as needed. Those users would need to configure their e-mail as well to connect to the corporate servers. We use computers with encrypted drives and a second log-in over a phone since some divisions with with the military. Shipping computers internationally gets expensive.

I hope so. It isn't just laptops...cameras and tablets too. The other thing is why just international flights? Any conversion that weaponizes a tablet that could be done overseas could be done here for a domestic flight as well. I read "point of boarding"- did you mean screening with the rest of the carry-on stuff at the existing check points?
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Yes. I meant where the human cargo is screened rather than the baggage.

Rich
 
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