Protecting your data

It seems obvious that when the police come to get their hands on your data, that you're going to be stuffed. Well, thanks to technology you have the chance to completely bugger them up.

Wireless technology is increasing all the time. It is not a simple matter, but perfectly feasable, to put a small Linux storage system in the garage, outhouse, even build a concrete section underneath a patio slab. With the AC to DC conversion happening in an electrically safe location, the DC power can be run out in a thin cable with no risk to life or limb should it be cut through. It can mean careful positioning of the wireless components, however. You could actually bury a cat 5 cable and get gigabit access to your storage with no problem whatsoever. Just ensure that there is adequate heat drain and there you go. In fact, with the ever increasing size of flash drives there isn't even the heat aspect to worry about any more - you could build the thing in to the brickwork of the house if you wanted and the idiot cops would have to literally tear down the house to find anything.

If you are even smarter and come to an arangement with your neighbours there is no reason why the storage devices actually have to be on your property at all. That means it can be with perfect visual sight of the coppers and they can't do anything about it, except go away and get another warrant, by which time you'd have moved the device.

This means that if you don't keep anything untoward directly on the devices on your office desk, you're sorted and the police will find nothing with which they can charge you.

You've also got the option of portable storage. a WD passport is a USB drive currently over 300gig which can easily be left almost anywhere; in the car, at work, at a friends house ... the days of the police searching a techies house for files, these days, is a waste of their time and the public purse.

Personally, I don't have anything that would upset the extreme porn law, although I know of people that do. That's one reason why I believe it is safe to stick my head above the parapet. However, Sussex Police have shot themselves in the foot because the picture I put forward for advice on in December last year (the 4th) still hasn't been responded to and if they decide to harass me, the perfect defence of not knowing is built in to the law; they would look like incompetent idiots in court. Also, an international press agency is watching the clarification request with interest, so we'll see what happens.