Re: California opts out of 4th Amendment

[Nick FitzGerald <nick () virus-l demon co uk>]

Gary Buhrmaster to Chris Boyd:

> > I'd like to be able to configure a duress password that would wipe the device when entered :-)

Good idea...

> > Any product manager out there listening?

8-)

Maybe it's one of those "obvious but patented" ideas?

> I believe that at least blackberries have that capability
> (10 bad passwords and wipe).

That's not strictly a "duress password".

To me, that term designates a specific feature where a "special 
password" is configured such that, if that password is entered instead 
of the "correct" one, the device takes that as an indication to "do 
something special".

In the case of, say, a house security system, the "something special" 
would be to call the monitoring company with the "duress" alarm code 
and to otherwise "unlock" things as normal (or perhaps not -- more 
sophisticated systems may build in multiple levels of complications 
here).  In the case of a mobile computing device the "something 
special" may be to disable all radio functions (cell, WiFi, BT), 
external ports/buses (USB, unused memory card slots, Ethernet, etc), 
disable the power switch function and engage a secure overwrite 
procedure on all functioning storage devices.



Regards,

Nick FitzGerald


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