A software engineer has designed a so-called USB "kill cable" that works as a dead man's switch to shut down or wipe a Linux laptop when the device is stolen off your table or from your lap in public spaces like parks, malls, and internet cafes. Learn more about this interesting and potentially dangerous new USB cable: . The cable, named BusKill , was designed by Michael Altfield , a software engineer and Linux sysadmin from Orlando, Florida. The idea is to connect the BusKill cable to your Linux laptop on one end, and to your belt, on the other end. When someone yanks your laptop from your lap or table, the USB cable disconnects from the laptop and triggers a udev script [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] that executes a series of preset operations. The link for this article located at ZDNet is no longer available. . Discover BusKill, a USB cable that acts as a dead man’s switch to protect your Linux laptop from theft and data loss.. software, engineer, designed, so-called, cable', works, man', switch. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
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