BusKill: The USB Laptop Kill Cord

Why BusKill?

BusKill is a Dead Man Switch triggered when a magnetic breakaway is tripped, severing a USB connection. Checkout this video demonstration:

Want to see more demos? Visit buskill.in/demo

Your data is your data.

Keep your accounts and encrypted data safe from thieves.

SECURE

BusKill can trigger your laptop to lock, shutdown, or self-destruct if it’s physically separated from you.
SIMPLE

BusKill is a hardware USB cable. No flapping bluetooth.
OPEN SOURCE

BusKill is licensed under CC-BY-SA and code is GPLv3.

Featured On

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See what others are saying about #BusKill

Clever idea

Bruce Schneier
Legendary Security Technologist
Activists should probably all have this
Henry Fisher
Techlore
Operational security, or opsec, is key if you’re using crypto exchanges. This new trick can make you a bit safer in a crowded cafe.
John Biggs
Coindesk
BusKill is pretty cool
Wessel klein Snakenborg
NovaCustom
Incredibly useful for security critical laptops.
Catalin Cimpanu
ZDNet
very practical idea using a USB drive and some udev rules to trigger a lockdown.
Harish Pillay
Chief Technology Architect, Red Hat
smart and simple method of adding a layer of physical protection when using your laptop in a public place.
Davey Winder
Forbes
This is brilliant and I can’t believe it hasn’t been invented and marketed yet.
Ray Watson
VP of Innovation at Masergy
Esta é uma forma simples e muito interessante de garantir a segurança física
Pedro Simões,
Pplware

Who benefits from BusKill?

Travelers

BusKill can provide travelers peace-of-mind when logged into their bank account or social media from a café in Paris.
Crypto Traders

Have a crypto wallet? BusKill can keep your coins safe while trading OTC. Or if you just day trade on an exchange from a coworking hot desk.
Journalists

Are you a journalist operating in an oppressive regime? BusKill can keep your documents and their sources safe if you’re targeted by the political police.
Activists
Businesses
Military/Intelligence

FAQ

No. Even if an exact replica was inserted, BusKill will still be triggered if it’s disconnected.

That’s good! But it won’t protect you if a thief snatch-and-runs with your laptop after you’ve authenticated.

The only way to defend against this sort of attack is by using a Dead Man Switch to detect that you’ve been replaced at the helm, such as BusKill.

Using a radio-based Dead Man Switch introduces complexity, delays, and an increased vector of attack. BusKill is a simple hardware kill cord and is therefore more secure than any wireless solution.

All of the BusKill Project’s content (including this documentation) is dual-licensed. All code is GPLv3 and all other content is CC-BY-SA. For licensing information, see our documentation