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by neilv 202 days ago
> Hardware kill switch - Firewall-level failsafe, not software

I think that firewalling/filtering and routing are software (though they can be accelerated in hardware).

"Hardware kill switch" is a useful pre-existing term, which I've only seen used to mean a user-controlled mechanical switch that physically opens or closes one or more electrical circuit conductor paths necessary for whatever is to be "killed" (electrically disconnected).

For example, let's say your network connector had several pins; a kill switch might mechanically disconnect those pins from wires or PCB traces, in a very simple and verifiable way, which obviously nothing in software/firmware/backdoors/etc. could circumvent. (Well, unless the software could control a robot arm, to go flip the mechanical switch, or solder in a bypass.)

Calling something else "hardware kill switch" seems incorrect. I don't say this to be pedantic, but because it's an important security feature, which this system claims to have, but does not.

1 comments

You're probably right lol. It does have that connotation. I'll change it.
Was this AI-generated?
I’m curious why you’re asking this. Are you concerned the author didn’t review what was generated?

If (I’m speculating here) that’s the real question you wanted to ask, it’s perfectly okay to ask that.

I asked that because I suspected it was AI-generated, but didn't want to assume.
No worries - still curious why you would care if it’s AI generated?

Eg. Are you concerned about licensing?

Not being generated implies some intent behind what's and how's being written that you can read into. Being generated means it's just driven by random chance and the poster may or may not have cared to redact it, making attempts at interpretation futile.

This applies to code just as much as it does to prose.

Some, yes.