[liberationtech] LUKS "Self-Destruct" feature introduced in Kali Linux

[Pranesh Prakash]

This might be of interest to some on this list:
http://www.kali.org/how-to/nuke-kali-linux-luks/

The LUKS encrypted partition self-destructs if a specific "nuke password" is used.

> Our main purpose for introducing this feature in Kali Linux is to simplify the process of securely traveling with confidential client information. While “LUKS Nuking” your drive will result in an inaccessible disk, it is possible to backup your keyslots beforehand and restore them after the fact. What this allows us to do is to “brick” our sensitive laptops before any travel, separate ourselves from the restoration keys (which we encrypt), and then “restore” them to the machines once back in a safe location. This way, if our hardware is lost or otherwise accessed midway through our travels, no one is able to restore the data on it, including ourselves. 

This above description seems to me to be an extreme case of 2FA.  Is it actually useful?

By contrast, Guardian Project's ChatSecure has a simple self-destruct button and TrueCrypt allows for hidden volumes that can be accessed through a different password.

-- 
Pranesh Prakash
Policy Director, Centre for Internet and Society
T: +91 80 40926283 | W: http://cis-india.org
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