When looking at encryption for protecting privacy, consider two types of data:
- Data in Motion.
- Data at Rest.
Disk encryption systems protect only the second category:
Data at Rest. The primary value of disk encryption is to protect information privacy in the event of physical loss or theft -- common with portable devices (laptops, netbooks, tablets, phones).
- It will not protect you from data exposure while the system is running, or in any standby or suspended operation, since data is in plaintext to be available to the OS and applications.
And crossing borders? In this day and age, I have no interest in testing encryption mechanisms with any nation's immigration or customs services. I will ONLY cross a border with completely clean devices that have no personal information on them, encrypted or plaintext. NONE WHATSOEVER.
