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

[Sean Lynch]

On Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 1:00 AM, Maxim Kammerer <mk at dee.su> wrote:

>
> I can't think of a scenario where this functionality would be useful.
> Reminds me of Greenwald using his boyfriend as a data mule  —
> simultaneously trusting and mistrusting cryptography due to lack of
> understanding of the concepts involved. If you want to move data
> safely, encrypt it with an automatically-generated password of
> sufficient entropy, and transmit the password separately — there is no
> need to transmit the whole LUKS keyslot, which is large, and is just a
> technical detail.
>

I don't think even this is useful. It'd be as easy or easier to go get the
separately transmitted key than to get you to reveal it, and the same
tactics that would get you to reveal the key could also get you to reveal
its location or the identity of whoever has the key.

In the more likely scenario, it's unlikely the bad guys are going to make
any distinction between your refusing to reveal the key and your being
unable to reveal the key. It's not like they're going to say "Damn, we've
lost. Well, just let them go, then!"

The only real protection from being compelled to reveal a key is for the
bad guys not to know the encrypted data even exists.
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