A dead man's switch is a fairly simple concept. If you don't perform a specific task before a set amount of time, it'll perform a specific action you set. They can be handy not just for hackers but for everyone who wants to protect themselves, someone else, or something tangible or intangible from harm. While there are more nefarious uses for a dead man's switch, white hats can put one to good use.
These switches have appeared in pop culture in many different forms, and examples can be seen in films such as "Point Break," "Speed," and "Crimson Tide." Notorious whistleblower Edward Snowden even used one in real life when he leaked all of those sensitive NSA documents to journalists. He sent encrypted versions to people he could trust who would receive the decryption key if he were to die under mysterious or violent circumstances.
When a Dead Man's Switch Comes in Handy
From a white hat's perspective, or just someone wanting to protect themselves from data theft by black hats or law enforcement, a dead man's switch is most useful for locking things down. Let's say you're in a protest with the possibility of getting arrested. You could set a kill switch for your laptop in case you don't check in via Twitter every so often. That way, it's harder for anyone to access ..
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