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BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

tech.michaelaltfield.net

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Re: BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

#241

Post by perl4ever »

yibg wrote: post #214
perl4ever wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Someone else resisting a criminal advances my ideal of not being a crime victim, no matter who gets shot or stabbed...so it's bewildering to me why people should say it's stupid. I mean, there's a word for people who slag off those who benefit them, and it is "ingrate".

Ideally we should all stand up to injustice, but maybe try to avoid senseless loss of life over trivial things. If nothing else consider the opportunity cost of not being able to standup later when it might really matter. Obvious loss of life is extreme and trivial things is subjective, but I think the point stands. There is a practical consideration to be made about what the risk profile is and what the degree of cr…

"try to avoid senseless loss of life over trivial things"

I do, thanks. I just think it's distasteful, dare I say boorish, to call other people's sacrifice "trivial" when it probably benefits me, even if slightly.

I don't think we live in a world where armed robbers are categorized as gum-stealers and child-shooters and never the twain shall meet. Some people are suspicious of even non-criminals having or using guns, believe it or not.

I'm not saying worship every vigilante as a hero, just accept that disproportionate reactions to antisocial behavior are never going to go away, are a fundamental part of human behavior, and can be stupid from an "economically rational person" perspective and beneficial to society, including you and me, some of the time.

If you call something another person is willing to risk their life for "trivial", you really don't care about their life. It's transparently an insincere reaction to feeling badly about being passive.

Re: BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

#242

Post by dbtx »

AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #90
tyingq wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suppose if the drive is encrypted and requires a passphrase at boot, it's effective for FBI raids, etc.

Whenever I read stuff like this I am forced to wonder just what the fuck people are doing that they feel such a pressing need to hide their data from law enforcement. I mean, I have plenty of things to hide just like any other reasonably interesting person, but none of it is outright criminal.

Have you ever remembered something that you left in a home directory on someone else's server but only after you no longer had access to it? It wasn't sensitive but then, it wasn't something you'd leave in a public place like foo.com/~name, either. You can't convince yourself they had the inclination to just delete all your trash. You know of at least one person who might have gained access (you don't know whether) and he probably would have engaged in some voyeurism. Everyone who knew him after you were gone knew that he was an asshole, and your one brief interaction with this person indicates that's an understatement.

Did that feel good? Well, it was preventable. That's a kind of thing that a reasonably interesting person might want to prevent.

Anyway, this happened. Not that I'm, like, supposed to be reasonably interesting or anything. ;)

Re: BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

#243

Post by nickik »

londons_explore wrote: post #236

I'd like to see a more practical solution for removing disk encryption keys from RAM. For example, wipe the disk encryption key from RAM, but then pause all disk IO and present some kind of UI to re-enter the encryption key to continue using the system. Encrypting all of system RAM can also quickly be done - perhaps a kernel module which in the case of a panic encrypts all of system ram with a key derived from your d…

That what systemd homed is supposed to enable

Re: BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

#244

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

iamnothere wrote: post #157
AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whenever I read stuff like this I am forced to wonder just what the fuck people are doing that they feel such a pressing need to hide their data from law enforcement. I mean, I have plenty of things to hide just like any other reasonably interesting person, but none of it is outright criminal.

Journalism, perhaps? https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/san-francisco-p... Or politics (see Watergate), or being a public defender, or environmental activism, or... the list goes on.

Yeah, all reasonable, I just have difficulty believing that the people who post things like the parent are actually involved in any of those activities.

Re: BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

#245

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

coenhyde wrote: post #155
AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whenever I read stuff like this I am forced to wonder just what the fuck people are doing that they feel such a pressing need to hide their data from law enforcement. I mean, I have plenty of things to hide just like any other reasonably interesting person, but none of it is outright criminal.

This would be useful outside of "hiding from law enforcement". Plenty of people have jobs where the compromise of their laptop could cause significant damage to their employer or their customers. Many people ready this thread should be taking these precautions.

Parent specifically mentioned "FBI" though, not other actors, specifically law enforcement.

Re: BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

#246

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

dbtx wrote: post #242
AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whenever I read stuff like this I am forced to wonder just what the fuck people are doing that they feel such a pressing need to hide their data from law enforcement. I mean, I have plenty of things to hide just like any other reasonably interesting person, but none of it is outright criminal.

Have you ever remembered something that you left in a home directory on someone else's server but only after you no longer had access to it? It wasn't sensitive but then, it wasn't something you'd leave in a public place like foo.com/~name, either. You can't convince yourself they had the inclination to just delete all your trash. You know of at least one person who might have gained access (you don't know whether )…

Yeah, it's fine to have stuff you want to hide for a lot of reasons. The problem I have with what the parent posted is that the specifically invoke "FBI" as what they're afraid of. That suggests to me that they aren't just hiding embarrassing or private information, but specifically something illegal. Now, as other posters have mentioned, parent could be an activist or something, but frankly I doubt that everyone I've seen post something similar is. I'm left with the conclusion that in addition to being holier-than-thou assholes and pedants, a lot of tech people are also casually engaged in things like tax evasion and securities fraud.

Re: BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

#247

Post by tyingq »

AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #246
dbtx wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you ever remembered something that you left in a home directory on someone else's server but only after you no longer had access to it? It wasn't sensitive but then, it wasn't something you'd leave in a public place like foo.com/~name, either. You can't convince yourself they had the inclination to just delete all your trash. You know of at least one person who might have gained access (you don't know whether )…

Yeah, it's fine to have stuff you want to hide for a lot of reasons. The problem I have with what the parent posted is that the specifically invoke "FBI" as what they're afraid of. That suggests to me that they aren't just hiding embarrassing or private information, but specifically something illegal. Now, as other posters have mentioned, parent could be an activist or something, but frankly I doubt that everyone I'v…

Sigh. I used FBI raids as an illustrative example. Which you've now extrapolated into a weird set of accusations.

Re: BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

#248

Post by vunie »

elric wrote: post #220
vunie wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I’m just assuming the above is not in good faith Not GP, but your assumption is wrong. It's not about the laptop. It's about standing up for yourself and doing your part towards society. You obviously don't agree with this stance and that's fine, but it's not your place to dictate what values are worth standing up for and what aren't. I, like GP, fully intend to go after a thief. If he goes after my life, then I go…

> It's as simple as that. Nothing is ever as simple as that. Not only is it a foolish, immoral and illegal, you've also just communicated murderous intent. Have fun spending 20-to-life in a cell because you thought ultraviolence would be a good way to do your part towards society. I've had more than my fair share of violent confrontations, and I assure you, no matter how well you think you are prepared, once the meta…

> you've also just communicated murderous intent.

No I have not. It's your bias that colored it that way. Reread my comment. I never said I want kill a thief for stealing. I simply stated that I will take back what is mine. If, and only if, the thief tries to kill me will I respond in kind.

Again, it has nothing to do with grandeur and everything to d with doing what is right. I will take back what is mine, and threatening my life wont stop me.

Re: BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

#249

Post by tyingq »

AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #244
iamnothere wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Journalism, perhaps? https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/san-francisco-p... Or politics (see Watergate), or being a public defender, or environmental activism, or... the list goes on.

Yeah, all reasonable, I just have difficulty believing that the people who post things like the parent are actually involved in any of those activities.

Maybe I sell marijuana in a US state where it's legal, but still have reservations about the Federal government. Or maybe it was just an example and I happen to find the topic interesting.

Re: BusKill: A kill cord for your laptop

#250

Post by TheAdamAndChe »

SmellyGeekBoy wrote: post #223
tropo wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That was a mistake. Criminals now very purposely run off with just shy of $950. Theft is way up in California. Meanwhile, in Texas you'd just shoot the laptop thief, either as soon as aware of the imminent theft or as the thief flees. It's fully supported by the law: https://lawofselfdefense.com/statute/texas-sec-9-42-deadly-f... Law enforcement in many communities would congratulate you for a job well done.

Controversial opinion maybe, but I personally don't think anyone deserves to lose their life for stealing a laptop.

That's a great thing about having different states with different laws. Cultural norms around the country vary.
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