Security·4,789 discussions

Kill Switch a file on windows

Tags: Security, Windows

Hypothetically would it be possible to make it that if a password was incorrectly entered x amount of times on a password protected file the file would be deleted permanently.

Topic

Yes.

In reply to Kill Switch a file on windows

But this is not a feature on Windows, Apple OS or Linux so you’ll have to wrap the document inside some app.

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In reply to Yes.

Where could I find further information on this or what would I look up for further research for security measures such as this

[kees_b]

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In reply to Reply To: Kill Switch a file on windows

The maker of the program that asks for the password to protect the file. For example, a zip-file can be password protected. Then ask the author of the program you want to open it with (like 7-zip) to implement such a feature.
But, of course, any copy of that file the user made wouldn’t be deleted, although still inaccessable without the password. I see no added security by deleting the original if the user can make as many copies of the file as he wants.

By the way, 7-zip is open-source. So you can build your own version that has this.

it might be easier to publish such an encrypted file on your website, and asking for a password to download it. Then only people with the password can download and read it. That’s a nice protection. Maybe there is no reason even to encrypt it.

• This reply was modified 1 week ago by kees_b.

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If you were to do it through the opening application like 7zip could someone use a different program like winrar to try unlock it and bypass the file delete script? Would there be a way to embed the script into the file itself?

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First question: yes.
Second question: no. A file that is being accessed, can’t be deleted, so a file can’t delete itself.

All you can do:
1. Send an encrypted file.
2. Send a program that asks for a password to open it, and deletes it when the password is entered wrong x amount of times. When it’s entered correctly, it should decrypt the file to a temporary unencrypted one and open that with the right program (like MS Word if it’s a word document, or Adobe Reader if it’s a pdf-file), Most of such programs allow the use to save the (unencrypted) file. That’s not a very good security, isn’t it? And, of course, the user can make any number of copies of the original unencrypted version.

I don’t think it’s a feasible idea.

You would need to create this.

In reply to Kill Switch a file on windows

Example of how to delete that app that would have created the document.

1. Password, etc.
2. On failure, create another app, launch that app, first app exits and the second app deletes the first executable.

Let’s be honest here. If you can’t write code, you should outsource this.

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In reply to You would need to create this.

That leaves you with a useless backup copy of the first program and the second program in a temp folder. A zip-file with a password seems a better idea to me.

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In reply to You would need to create this.

I really appreciate the responses. And I apologise for so many follow up questions. Would there be another angle I could approach it from like maybe keeping the file on a usb drive and put a protocol in place that the drive would wipe if incorrectly accessed

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No, you can’t wipe a file system that has a file that’s being accessed.

Why do you want this so badly?

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In reply to Kill Switch a file on windows

Yes, it’s technically possible with a custom script, but risky—accidental deletions could be a nightmare. Use with extreme caution.

[Author]

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