Lockdown Mode Thwarted by Friction and the Laws of Nature

[Dlonk]

I have this Librem 5 problem where sometimes if I am traveling with all the hardware switches off so the machine is a totally offline handset in its own universe, and I want it to stay that way, I have found that I can put it in my pocket and later pull it out, and the outward friction of the pants pocket pulling it out of there hooks onto the HKS physically and toggles it, disabling lockdown mode and enabling the networking because the friction button movement is indistinguishable to the hardware from a human action with intention to toggle the switch.

I think this happened twice for me today and with different switches. It makes me feel as if I cheated myself, or a little down, because I spend all this effort to be a Librem 5 user but then have my idea for security, peace of mind, and honestly reduced EMF exposure to my internal organs, all totally thwarted by a pair of pants.

Librem 5’s get used by paranoid people. And maybe in another thread someone could discuss the merits or lack thereof of being paranoid. But if we assume a human is paranoid, and then assume they are using HKS, but have their HKS thwarted by pants, this seems like a very negative and demoralizing user experience, because with paranoia you can believe that maybe the US government picked to manipulate you into using those pants, or any number of ludicrous paranoid ideas. And that’s probably not the case, you know, this is probably simply an accident in the manufacture and function of the Purism hardware.

But I wondered, does anyone else experience this problem and do they find a way to restore peace of mind and avoid it?

[weirdnerd]

put a small piece of painter’s tape over the switches

No idea if that will work or if that will quickly be rubbed off as well, but it’s an idea! I have also seen threads about 3D printed cases that might help too.

[weirdnerd]

If the painter’s tape works as a single-use solution, you could carry a small roll as a fashionable Librem 5 accessory

[amarok]

I think my switches are resistant enough to not be moved accidentally, but then I keep the functions enabled all the time anyway.

[JR-Fi]

I use the printed case, which has the switches in a recess, so trousers or other nefarious hacker tools have harder time to interact with them.

[carlosgonz]

Purism improved the HKS from Dogwood+ however moving HKS to HKB could be better to prevent turning 0n. However with current engineered HKS even with law of the nature this can not be turned 0n unless you are provoking it.

[irvinewade]

Use a different pocket?

@Dlonk

And maybe in another thread

Pun intended?

[Chibi]

I have had the opposite happen, where I have them all on, but later discover they have been switched off. Presumably from having travelled to or from my pocket. It’s usually the top one, Network, that gets moved.

It hasn’t been frequent enough or specifically problematic for me, though.

[FranklyFlawless]

@Dlonk

But I wondered, does anyone else experience this problem and do they find a way to restore peace of mind and avoid it?

No, but Purism already provided a solution for that:

Belt and Braces: Introducing Faraday Sleeves and Bags from SLNT – Purism

What About Hardware Kill Switches?

You might wonder, given that our Librem 14 and Librem 5 both come with hardware kill switches that disable all hardware that can transmit wirelessly, where would these Faraday products come in? We believe in a “belt and braces” defense-in-depth approach to security. While the hardware kill switches are convenient and effective to disable wireless hardware on our devices, there are a few reasons why you might want to consider the extra security of a Faraday sleeve.

First, you might simply want peace of mind that regardless of whether you remembered to engage the hardware kill switches, that your device is offline. Mistakes happen and sometimes you might forget to enable or disable hardware kill switches when you intend to. With the additional physical protection of a Faraday sleeve you can know that even with mistakes (or a phone kill switch that might get switched on by accident in your pocket), that your device is offline when you expect it to be.

Secondly, some people are concerned about protecting their devices from leaking wireless signals that come from other components in the system while on. Alternatively others are concerned about external wireless attacks against their system. In either case, if this is within your threat model, adding a physical barrier that blocks wireless transmissions might make sense.

Finally, you may want to add an extra layer of defense to your product while it is in transit from us to you. Add a note to your order at purchase time, and we can ensure your phone or laptop ships to you inside the Faraday sleeve.

[tracy]

You can try those Faraday bags mentioned here last year. So it should be offline even if you switch flips, Although I also noticed you may accidentally flip one of those switches when pulling your phone out of the bag.

Belt and Braces: Introducing Faraday Sleeves and Bags from SLNT

We believe in a layered, defense-in-depth approach to security, and that is why we are excited to announce our partnership with SNLT to offer premium Faraday sleeves and bags compatible with our product line. Belt and Braces: Introducing Faraday Sleeves and Bags from SLNT – Purism

Another choice would be a rubber drop protector, it should also make the switches hard to get at.

[amarok]

Or looser trousers…

[mrtatertot]

Can’t you just be more careful to avoid activating the switches when removing or inserting the phone from your pocket?

this is probably simply an accident in the manufacture and function of the Purism hardware.

I’m definitely no Purism fan, but this is a silly statement in my opinion.

[FranklyFlawless]

Sometimes switches or buttons are affected by other types of actions, such as moving/sitting in slim jeans. Accidental dials do occur even with other smartphones.

[Dlonk]

@mrtatertot

but this is a silly statement in my opinion.

Fair point. Maybe I wanted to blame them instead of myself, for making switches that eventually loosen if I toggle them daily for months and months.

In reality, after I got away from that specific pair of pants, it’s been better.

[JR-Fi]

As we’ve had with apps, chargers, cables and hubs, we should have a writeup or list about L5 non-compatible pants and pants that work well with L5 (noting that we all have our own risk profiles when it comes to pants and privacy)

[FranklyFlawless]

I currently wear these H&M Skinny Jeans, waist 29, inseam 32:

Skinny Jeans - Denim blue - Men | H&M CA

I place my Librem 5 USA in the front right pocket, with the orientation depending if I have a power bank connected or not. The hardware kill switches never accidentally toggle while in the pocket. The jeans themselves are affordable but poor quality, so I will be upgrading to ultra heavy raw denim sometime in the near future.