Tomorrow I leave Oslo for the US, where among other
things will attend DEFCON 7. For this occasion I have
prepared a 'black disk' containing ssh executables that
will allow me to communicate with my home network.
Today I called the US embassy in Oslo to find out if
I would be allowed to bring the disk with me back to
Norway or if I would have to macculate it before leaving
the U.S.... A simple question, or so I thought :-)
First call to US embassy in Oslo: Sorry, we don't answer
questions like this. You will have to talk to a customs
officer at our embassy in London.
Phone +44 171 408 8076 / 77
Call: Welcome to the IRS (!)
Talk to the people, get the correct number:
+44 171 499 9000 ext 2772
Seriuos FUD begins: We are not sure that you are
even allowed to bring the software with you into
the U.S. You will have to talk to the Department
of state, Defence Trade Controls.
+1 703 875 6644
After staving off half a dozen voicemail traps, I
finally got to talk to some person in charge of
encryption: Well, sorry to tell you, we don't deal
with basic ( civilian ) cryptography, for this you
will have to call the Department of Commerce
+1 202 482 4811
At this point the switchboard at the department of
commerse had collapsed. And no further progress could
be made.
I should have started sorting this out weeks ago....
'Black Disk' will be in my carry on, mustn't forget
to format it before I return home ... :-)
cheers, frank
This sentence is unique in this respect; it can safely
be attributed to my employer, Funcom Oslo AS.
E3D2BCADBEF8C82F A5891D2B6730EA1B PGPmail preferred, finger for key
There is no place like N59 50.558' E010 50.870'. (WGS84)
