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Software Dead Man's Switch

Posted by timothy on from the take-short-vacations dept.

Anonymous Coward writes "DaisyMan over on ArsWare has come up with a software based Dead Man's Switch that will, if you don't 'check in' every so often, post a message (presumably about your demise, but whatever you wish) to various message boards, send email (maybe that incriminating evidence?) to your friends, and encrypt specified files on your computer so that 'they' can't have them. Paranoia? Yeah, but they really _are_ watching you ..." Update: 06/22 12:57 GMT by T : The idea isn't new, but recently sparked a New York Times article.

2 of 231 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Question... by clary · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hehe.

    Actually, maybe the poster was serious??? I could imagine putting the cron job on one of your main servers or workstations, easily found by "THEM." The dead-man's switch would be on some less obvious machine, in another location. When "THEY" rush in, unplug, and cart off all your machines, "THEY" unknowingly turn off the cron job.

    For the most delicious irony, the most wily of you might find some way to host the dead-man's switch on one of "THEIR" machines!

    --

    "Rub her feet." -- L.L.

  2. A much easier, less risky, more effective solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Have someone you trust, like your wife, your sister or, if you're alone on the world, a lawyer flip on the 'switch' when you're dead.

    There must be someone you can trust more then your ability to check in every now and then.

    And if there isn't, I truly pitty you, but you can hire a lawyer to do it.
    And no there is no conspiracy between the lawyers and the government.