Hacker News: alcazar

Journalists, whistleblowers and activists should set a Dead Man's Switch

alcazar — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:35:17 +0000

Article URL: https://alcazarsec.com/deadmanswitch/use-cases/journalists

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47717932

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

New comment by alcazar in "Claude Mythos is the first model Anthropic didn't really release"

alcazar — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:25:54 +0000

[OpenAI says its new model GPT-2 is too dangerous to release (2019)](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47684326)

New comment by alcazar in "Ask HN: How do you manage your digital legacy for after you die?"

alcazar — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:24:19 +0000

She knows about it, so she will actually be expecting it.

But yes, that is indeed a risk, particularly for other family members who don't know there is an email for them.

Claude Mythos is the first model Anthropic didn't really release

alcazar — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:14:36 +0000

Article URL: https://blog.alcazarsec.com/tech/posts/claude-mythos-the-first-model-anthropic-didnt-really-release

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47704838

Points: 2

# Comments: 2

New comment by alcazar in "Ask HN: How do you manage your digital legacy for after you die?"

alcazar — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:42:27 +0000

I also thought that, but I like it this way. It supports weekly checks as well.

New comment by alcazar in "Ask HN: How do you manage your digital legacy for after you die?"

alcazar — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:48:02 +0000

I set up a Dead Man's Switch. It sends me an email with a link every day. If I click it, I acknowledge that I am alive and nothing happens. If I do not, after a grace period and more reminders, it sends an email to my wife with a password-protected file. I have listed all our accounts, passwords, assets, etc., along with instructions on what to do and whom to ask for help.

Disclaimer: I sell digital legacy products. However, I also honestly use them, and some of these tools I distribute for free and have made open-source.

How time-lock puzzles work

alcazar — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:43:24 +0000

Article URL: https://blog.alcazarsec.com/tech/posts/time-lock-puzzles-need-hidden-order-groups

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47690134

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

New comment by alcazar in "The best tools for sending an email if you go silent"

alcazar — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 02:06:33 +0000

Fair enough. It is an advertisement, like when you read a "What is the best free email account?" blog article on the ProtonMail blog; you know it is an advertisement for their own product.

As a company that builds stuff, you need to get people's eyeballs on your products. One way you do that is by advertising your product. This is not in a nefarious way; it is just the law of nature.

Do you have better advice on how to get people to know that we exist and to try our product? I am honestly listening.

New comment by alcazar in "The best tools for sending an email if you go silent"

alcazar — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:13:42 +0000

I think Vaultwarden is the right place to store secrets and SSH keys. They can use the emergency recovery feature to request access after a certain period.

You could then share the complete instructions via email using a dead man's switch, which would make it easier for them to navigate those difficult times.

If you want to give that a try, I can answer any questions you have during setup and extend the free trial (the default is 14 days) until you are sure that this is the right solution.

Send us a message if we can help!

New comment by alcazar in "The best tools for sending an email if you go silent"

alcazar — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:02:55 +0000

How do you perform the check-ins? Can you send messages to "normal" people, such as your parents, or must they be running a script to check the blockchain periodically?

Most people want an easy-to-use solution for sending messages to family and friends. However, technical people with technical friends can use the bleeding edge, and that is cool as well.

New comment by alcazar in "The best tools for sending an email if you go silent"

alcazar — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:58:19 +0000

That's great if you just want them to know you are gone (although many friends would realize before that).

It is not complete if you want to send them anything after you go—some goodbye letter, or something more practical like a password, or plans and info they should know.

It is still a good idea to configure anyway. It's not one tool or another; they can complement each other.

New comment by alcazar in "The best tools for sending an email if you go silent"

alcazar — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:55:38 +0000

We're sorry if you had the impression it wasn't our own product. The second recommendation is "Alcazar Dead Man’s Switch," and the page is titled "Alcazar · Blog." We thought it was clear.

We recommend our own product because we think it's one of the best options out there. We want people to hear about it, while we also share information about our competitors and when one would choose us versus them.

New comment by alcazar in "The best tools for sending an email if you go silent"

alcazar — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:52:40 +0000

It's very hard to simplify a list of services to the point where it's useful for everyone. Some people have never heard of the topic and just want a quick skim. Others want the full feature list (which you can find in the linked websites). There's no perfect solution.

New comment by alcazar in "The best tools for sending an email if you go silent"

alcazar — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:49:55 +0000

No upvoting ring here. In fact, I didn't realize this blew up until now.

We routinely post blog articles explaining digital legacy to people. And oftentimes we recommend our own product, as we honestly believe it's one of the most simple and private ones out there.

The best tools for sending an email if you go silent

alcazar — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:08:42 +0000

Article URL: https://blog.alcazarsec.com/posts/best-email-dead-mans-switches

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47674786

Points: 22

# Comments: 17

New comment by alcazar in "The most secure phone today is a Google Pixel running GrapheneOS"

alcazar — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:23:34 +0000

This is a valid point.

I think they are trying to fix this with Accrescent. I've always heard to use Droid-ify for open-source apps, and Aurora for apps that are only in the Play Store (it uses its own Google accounts as a proxy).