Quantum Windbag
Gold Member
- May 9, 2010
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Under the 4th amendment the law has the right to search your house and sieze any contents that the judge thinks relavent to a court case. The law can't compel you to plead guilty, or to say anything. But anything you do say is permissible to record.
Also, what we have here is the equivalent of a locked cabinet. Under the 4th amendment, the government can compel you to produce the keys. (usually they don't bother. They just break the lock or call in a locksmith )
I am pretty sure that any algorithm that Windows has, the NSA can break.
TrueCrypt is freeware, and essentially unbreakable, even if the NSA were to divert resources in a mortgage fraud case.
That aside, since the government granted immunity to the woman who they say owns the laptop there is no real reason she can stand on self incrimination grounds unless they are alleging that merely possessing the laptop is illegal. In that case, knowledge of the password would demonstrate guilt. I actually expect this to hold up.