Companies and individuals have dealt with this problem in several ways, from keeping sensitive data off laptops traveling internationally, to storing the data -- encrypted, of course -- on websites and then downloading it at the destination. I have never liked either solution. I do a lot of work on the road, and need to carry all sorts of data with me all the time. It's a lot of data, and downloading it can take a long time. Also, I like to work on long international flights.
There's another solution, one that works with whole-disk encryption products like PGP Disk (I'm on PGP's advisory board), TrueCrypt, and BitLocker: Encrypt the data to a key you don't know.
(the article goes on to describe exactly how you can use a key that you don't know) http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/07/laptop_securit...
What would be more interesting is to know whose laptops they are taking:
Is it just shiny new Macbooks because the agents fancy a nice toy?
Is it from anyone with a certain skin color just to discourage them?
Or anyone who has made a contribution to the ACLU?
Is it people working for certain companies? Anyone landing in Seattle from Airbus, Houston and working for Shell, Detroit and work for any competent car company?
