BusKill Review: The Deadman Switch For Laptops

[@techlore]

What do we think? It's not a security tool I've heard of before - so figured I'd share my experience! Thank you to our sponsor Notesnook! They offer E2EE notes in an open source ecosystem, free to try: notesnook.com

[@1q3er5]

wait didn't the silk road guy get caught with one of these? i can't remember the full story but i heard undercover agents pretended to be fighting to distract him and then snatched his laptop or something like that lol

[@techlore]

This is mentioned in the review.

[@1q3er5]

@@techlore oh haha 😄

[@ymfah]

Certainly a good idea. I've seen documentaries where the feds would purposefully create a distraction so that the owner of the laptop would head outside in a hurry w/o locking their device. Unsure about the price though. A cheap alternative would be a tails drive on a USB cable tethered the same way since tails already nukes itself when the boot drive is disconnected. Magnetic USB cables can also be bought for cheap to ensure a quick disconnect, and any unfortunate mistake won't hurl the laptop to the floor.

[@27370]

Funny timing that you mention Ross Ulbricht given he was pardoned at nearly the same time this video was uploaded

[@diogoalmeidavisuals]

Would be interesting to see a version with a magnetic USB-C connector

[@james141111]

Im not sure why this needs to be specialist hardware, surely software could be written that just looks for a standard USB drive with a specific serial or key file on it to do exactly the same thing?

[@techlore]

The software is open source and can be used with anything on your end that can function as the trigger. So almost what you’re describing. But a USB flash drive is not a deadman switch as it requires a user to actively pull it out of their laptop, not too different from hitting the power button. A deadman switch is designed to guarantee a trigger if the device moves away from your body with no action required. Very important distinction that matters to targeted individuals.

[@Valeria-g9y]

CLUTCH! I literally was looking for one! :D

[@CedroCron]

I'd used some Electrical Tape on the Adapters from C to A or A to C so that accidental disconnects aren't an issue.

[@beargiles4062]

It's not quite the same but I know that there have been tools that lock the laptop (or desktop) when you remove a smart card/badge, and I'm sure there have also been variants that work with a USB stick on your key ring. It doesn't even have to be a special USB device - the system just needs to take an action when certain USB devices are disconnected. You probably don't want to leave your keys on the table in public but you could use old USB memory stick and a string for the same thing, right? Since I'm a linux ubergeek I've even considered doing something similar but with a bluetooth connection. This would work esp. well with a phone since you would have a bit more flexibility but it would still lock (or shut down) when the laptop left your vicinity. The main downside to this is that a very knowledgeable attacker (e.g., FBI) could probably clone the bluetooth network id... but only if they knew they needed to do it and only if you weren't running a simple (but cryptographically strong) challenge-response system that they couldn't mimic.

[@PDMCGEEJR]

another option is using yubikey and enable a function where you remove your yubikey it automatically locks. i currently do this so when i leave i remove it and take it with me any it locks instantly.

[@techlore]

While smart and definitely an option: that is not a deadman switch as it requires you to actively pull it out of their laptop, not too different from hitting the power button. A deadman switch is designed to guarantee a trigger if the device moves away from your body with no action required. Very important distinction that matters to targeted individuals. To put it simply: someone can steal your laptop with the yubikey attached. That’s not anywhere near as possible with a proper deadman switch.

[@PDMCGEEJR]

@@techlore valid points, ill have to try this out, thanks for the input.

[@MrSolenoid]

$99? I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. I just made something for fun in 5 minutes. A tiny 20Kb program that checks a usb drive for a file I randomly created. Yes, usb drive and the string costs a few $, but $99?

[@techlore]

While smart and definitely an option: that is not a deadman switch as it requires you to actively pull it out of your laptop, not too different from hitting the power button. A deadman switch is designed to guarantee a trigger if the device moves away from your body with no action required. Very important distinction that matters to targeted individuals. To put it simply: someone can steal your laptop with the USB attached. That’s not anywhere near as possible with a proper deadman switch. I think the USB key is great if it works for you, but it’s not quite the same use case. If you wanted to save money I think it’s better to 3d print this instead.

[@MrSolenoid]

@ off course you'd need to attach a cord to the usb drive. Yank out the usb drive and the program can't see the file and it locks and plays a high alarm sound.

[@techlore]

You should publish how you do this on GitHub for others to be able to utilize it as an alternative

[@zblurth]

Use one of those linux disto that run on a usb key and attach that key to yourself 🗿

[@Txoka]

Fun fact: They still run after you pull the usb with whatever is loaded into memory!

[@zblurth]

​@@Txokaoh yeah I forgot 😅 True armchair moment

[@MasicoreLord]

@@Txoka while true, there are some like tails that'd immediately clear the contents of the ram and force a shutdown if the usb or other media got ejected during operation.

[@PoseidonOilRig]

Great timing for this video, considering the pardon of Ross Ulbricht.

[@vlmath314]

yes, no brainer, shall have in a lot of cases. however, if you are a target or have the need for this, do not work in public. full stop.

[@mrp898]

A little disappointing they won't notorise the app when they sell kits so should be more than able to justify and cover the cost. I pay to notorise my apps even though I offer them for free, I get some donations that covers the £79/year for the Apple Developer account and I feel it is important to the end user (at least it is important to me as an end user of other software). We can argue about whether Apple should or shouldn't charge all day and the pros and cons of it but that is a different conversation :)

[@techlore]

Agreed!

[@lillywho]

Honestly, I'd be more worried about the hapless thief wiping the disk and selling it on. I suspect people rarely if ever go for accounts on top of the value of the hardware.

[@techlore]

This is why backups are always important 👌 data loss is a huge issue, but backups are the core remedy. If you’re not worried about your data being exposed then you probably don’t have a use case for the product! It’s for people working with sensitive data.

[@LaZieGoblin]

What do you do when it breaks?

[@alternatuber6698]

1:43 Lol how can someone steal your laptop in front of you?!

[@gajelas8354]

play dQw4w9WgXcQ at 100% volume when disconnected 😎

[@UsualYaddaYadda]

Play it before disconnection to avoid the theft in the first place.

[@Devin_Laugherin]

Use case is kinda weird and veeery specific. Maybe i understood it wrong - but you essentially tether yourself with your device with killswitch. Okay. Assuming that - it is only useful if someone literally grab your device from your hands while you working with it, or turned your attention away for a moment. Idk its like handcuffing yourself to your bike, no one will steal it, sure, but you literally anchored. If your threat profile is high - having quickly accessable remote killswitch on your smartphone is more reasonable.

[@techlore]

It’s a magnet. If the device comes away from you and separates itself from you it’s triggered. It does not stop someone from taking the device.

[@jepleas9159]

Why not just use a Kensington lock leashed to your belt or the table?

[@0rangePilled]

Ross is free!

[@phoneywheeze]

why not just push the power button yourself if you have to unplug the usb device yourself? or maybe I don't understand the product

[@Txoka]

You dont unplug the usb yourself, you tie it to your body/clothing and it disconnects due to sheer tension whenever the device gets stolen.

[@phoneywheeze]

@Txoka hm, makes sense. but with such products there could be problem with friction and you could have the entire device be dragged away with the cable. or if the cables not that tough, it might end up breaking itself. i understand that regardless it might be helpful for some people.

[@pippinproductions]

$99 is CRAZY, should be $30 max

[@jordan-warne]

First

[@techlore]

Good edit Jordan :P