Re: POISON PILL

[Jim McCoy <mccoy@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>]

> From: "Perry E. Metzger" <pmetzger@lehman.com>
> 
> Sandy says:
> > POISON PILL--What, if anything, can be done to booby-trap a
> > computer?  Once the cops have a machine, one would expect that
> > they will paw through everything in it. [...]
> 
> Why wouldn't you? Its your machine, so what you do to it is perfectly
> legal. You are under no obligation to make your equipment suitable for
> people who wish to steal it.

Well, you can do this, but you are taking your liberty into your own hands
by doing so.  Once your computer is siezed as part of a valid search
warrant it is no longer "your computer" but is evidence in an ongoing
investigation.  If you were to booby trap your system so that there was
actual descruction of components or data you would do two things:

	-1 Really, really piss off those investigating you.  Nothing like
	   giving people who can make your life a living hell a reason to
	   want to make your life hell...

	-2 Opening yourself up for destruction of evidence and obstruction
	   of justice charges in addition to whatever else they may have
	   had on you.

If you want to protect your data is such situations you need to set up your
system so that even if they have the data it does them nothing (e.g.
encryptiong), not so that it will destroy the data.


jim