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NISTAR36 - CHECKLIST
Travelling with a laptop and phone

Version: 20.10.2026
https://nistar36.com
http://nistar365rngpsoivfnwiwe2fkaxspqm6koatutqxiaxnxuql4rl45qd.onion


BEFORE YOU LEAVE

[ ] Take only the data you really need. What you do not carry,
    nobody can search.
[ ] Consider a separate travel laptop and phone - with no history,
    accounts or message archive.
[ ] Encrypt the laptop's entire drive (LUKS, VeraCrypt) and set a long
    passphrase, not a short PIN.
[ ] On your phone, use a strong password instead of a short code and,
    for the trip, turn off fingerprint and face unlock.
    Biometrics are much easier to force than a password.
[ ] Update the operating system and all apps.
[ ] Make an encrypted backup and leave it somewhere safe - not in your
    luggage.
[ ] Log out of accounts you will not use and remove apps you do not
    need while travelling.
[ ] Turn on disappearing messages in your messengers and delete old
    conversations you do not need to carry with you.
[ ] Check the destination country's rules on encryption and device
    searches at the border.
[ ] Write down on paper the number of a trusted person and a lawyer.


AT THE BORDER

[ ] Before the check, shut down your laptop and phone completely -
    do not just put them to sleep. A powered-off device with an
    encrypted drive is much harder to read than a sleeping one.
[ ] Do not let your devices out of your sight. If they are taken
    out of view, note the time and circumstances.
[ ] In some countries, refusing to unlock a device may lead to it being
    seized or to being denied entry. Decide in advance what you will do.


AT YOUR DESTINATION

[ ] Do not leave your laptop unattended in a hotel room. If you must -
    leave it powered off.
[ ] Connect to public Wi-Fi only through Tor or a trusted VPN.
[ ] Do not plug in other people's USB sticks or chargers. Use your own
    power adapter or a USB data blocker.
[ ] Cover the camera when you are not using it.


WHEN YOU GET BACK

[ ] If a device was out of your control (seized, taken to another
    room), treat it as potentially compromised: do not log in to
    important accounts on it and, if in doubt, reinstall the system.
[ ] Change the passwords you typed while travelling, especially on
    other people's devices.


This file is signed with the Nistar36 PGP key:
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Verification:  gpg --verify checklist-travel_en.txt
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