Why This Security Expert Doesn't Use a Phone (Buskill Interview)

Even with encryption and 2FA, if someone steals your logged-in laptop, you're compromised. Michael Altfield created Buskill - an open source USB "dead man switch" - to solve this analog attack vector. In this interview, you’ll hear about the real incidents that inspired it, the advocacy work that fueled it, and the collaborative engineering efforts that turned it into a practical tool for protecting sensitive data.

🔗 SOURCES & LINKS

• https://tech.michaelaltfield.net/

• https://buskill.in/

• https://github.com/BusKill

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00:00 INTRO

00:01:43 WHAT GOT YOU INTO SECURITY?

00:02:32 WHEN DID YOU GET INTO SECURITY?

00:03:31 WHAT IS A DEAD MAN SWITCH?

00:04:33 WHY DID YOU DEVELOP BUSKILL?

00:06:25 WHEN DID YOU START MAKING BUSKILL CABLES?

00:06:42 HAS THE PRODUCT CHANGED SINCE THEN?

00:07:42 WHO ELSE IS BUSKILL FOR?

00:09:08 WHAT OPTIONS CAN BE TRIGGERED?

00:10:53 IS IT POSSIBLE TO TRIGGER A FALSE OR ALTERNATIVE ENVIRONMENT?

00:12:16 CAN YOU WIPE ON WINDOWS OR MACOS?

00:13:40 LINUX INSTALL OPTIONS

00:14:16 MACOS & WINDOWS INSTALL OPTIONS

00:14:25 CAN THIS BE DONE ON MOBILE?

00:16:39 REAL-WORLD BUSKILL EXAMPLES

00:18:13 BUSKILL COMMUNITY

00:19:17 BUSKILL + OPEN SOURCE

00:19:44 STL FILES + 3D PRINTING

00:20:38 IS IT GOOD TO CREATE IT YOURSELF?

00:20:50 INTERDICTION

00:21:42 EDWARD SNOWDEN ON INTERDICTION

00:23:24 OTHER ACQUISITION METHODS

00:25:13 NOVACUSTOM PARTNERSHIP

00:26:00 BUSKILL + NICHE LINUX DISTROS

00:26:57 QUBES DOM0

00:28:27 UBUNTU & TAILS

00:30:02 DOES BUSKILL SUPPORT CHROMEBOOKS?

00:31:19 GETTING INVOLVED IN PRIVACY + ADVOCACY

00:33:05 HOW PRIVACY IS VIEWED WORLDWIDE

00:36:55 PERSONAL CHALLENGES WITH PRIVACY

00:39:11 GO-TO PRIVACY & SECURITY TIPS

00:40:11 BUSKILL + SECURITY KEYS?

00:43:06 SECURITY THROUGH OBSCURITY

00:45:25 CLOUD-BASED PASSWORD MANAGERS

00:46:09 LIVING WITHOUT A PHONE

00:51:57 CAN IT GET WORSE?

00:53:18 PROPRIETARY BROADBAND

00:58:49 WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT NOVACUSTOM?

01:00:56 OUTRO

🎥 VIDEO
Watch on YouTube

🧡 SUPPORT TECHLORE
Keep Techlore Talks independent & growing: ★ Support this podcast ★