4: Law Enforcement Takes Your Laptop

Judge Alex Kozinski of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
Paul Sakuma/Getty Images
Judge Alex Kozinski of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that U.S. border agents can search electronic devices without probable cause.

­If you travel with your laptop or BlackBerry, listen up. According to the 9th Circuit Court, it is perfectly legal for Federal Customs and Border Patrol agents to seize your technological devices when you enter the United States. You might not have anything illegal on your computer's hard drive, but even if you're just carrying your personal computer and you have all your kids' vacation pictures on there, there's no telling when -- or if -- you'll get your machine back.

The idea is that in the interest of national security, U.S. officials have the right to confiscate electronics to search them for evidence of a crime -- even without probable cause. If that sounds scary to you, you can read more in our article, Can the government take away my laptop?

Perhaps the government can use this decision to prevent an attack, but can anyone prevent an all-out cyberwar? On the next page, we'll take a look.