Re: Self-destruct password

[Robert Varga <nite@hq.alert.sk>]

On Mon, Apr 23, 2001 at 07:48:13AM -0400, Emil wrote:
> Has anyone though of adding a second password to the encryption
> mechanism that will wipe clean the whole partition/file ?
> 
> In this way if someone forces you to give him the password to
> access your private data you can provide him the self-destruct
> password instead. He won't be able to tell which is the
> right password until he tries it and then it will be to late.

Great idea, yet can you make sure the attacker enters the key to your
vanilla utilities and not to his/hers modified ones ? 'Cause those need only
to check the phrase, not erase the data.

Your idea would work in a situation when the attacker knows little to
nothing about the way you protect your data (e.g. he sits in front of "Enter
password" prompt)

-- 
Kind regards,
Robert Varga
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n@hq.sk                                          http://hq.sk/~nite/gpgkey.txt

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