Configuring DuressDecoy: Protection Against Coercion¶
Time Required: 20-30 minutes Difficulty: Intermediate Tier Required: Sovereign
DuressDecoy is the safeword response in the Sovereign tier. You mark selected Spaces as sensitive and set a safeword PIN distinct from your normal PIN. If you are forced to provide access, entering the safeword PIN opens the same Safe with the sensitive Spaces hidden, while your non-sensitive Spaces remain available. Your most important assets—documents, credentials, cryptocurrency—stay hidden and protected. This guide walks you through complete configuration, including preparing a convincing set of visible Spaces.
What You Will Achieve¶
By the end of this guide, you will have a fully configured DuressDecoy setup where entering your normal PIN opens your Safe with all your Spaces visible, entering your safeword PIN opens the same Safe with the Spaces you marked as sensitive hidden, and the Spaces that remain visible contain plausible content appropriate to your situation.
Prerequisites¶
Before you begin, ensure you have the following in place.
You need an UnoLock Safe on the Sovereign tier. In HighRisk, the safeword PIN permanently deletes marked sensitive Spaces instead of hiding them; if your Safe is HighRisk, follow the Plausible Deniability setup instead.
You need your Safe already configured with FIDO2 or biometric authentication and a PIN. DuressDecoy adds a safeword PIN; it does not replace your normal authentication, and the safeword PIN is not a substitute for your registered access key.
You need your data organized into Spaces. DuressDecoy acts on whole Spaces, so decide which Spaces hold sensitive material and which hold everyday content that can stay visible.
You need to think about what a convincing visible view looks like for your situation. A Safe that appears empty or implausible once the sensitive Spaces are hidden will fail under scrutiny. Preparation before configuration produces better results.
You need 20-30 minutes of uninterrupted time. Rushing through configuration often produces unconvincing results that could fail when you need them most.
Understanding the DuressDecoy Model¶
DuressDecoy operates on strategic deception rather than denial. When someone forces you to open your vault, you comply. You enter a PIN. Your Safe opens. The attacker sees what appears to be your data. What they see is the set of Spaces you chose to leave visible, while your sensitive Spaces remain hidden.
The effectiveness depends entirely on the quality of what remains visible. A Safe containing nothing but a test file labeled "decoy test" fools no one. A Safe whose visible Spaces contain what appears to be your actual digital life, complete with some documents, some credentials, perhaps some modest cryptocurrency holdings, presents a convincing picture of cooperation.
This is not a separate decoy Safe. The server recognizes safeword authentication and hides the marked sensitive Spaces for that session. The Spaces are not deleted; signing in normally shows them again. Your Safe's contents remain encrypted and unreadable to UnoLock either way.
Understand the limits. The safeword is not a silent alarm and does not guarantee safety under coercion. An adversary who already knows what your Safe contains, or controls a device that has already displayed it, may have information outside the safeword session. Downloaded files, screenshots, and other copies are not hidden. Hiding a Shared Space affects only your Safe's view, not the access held by other participating Safes.
Step-by-Step Configuration¶
Step 1: Prepare Your Spaces¶
Before opening the settings, review your Spaces. Move sensitive material into the Spaces you intend to mark, and keep everyday content in Spaces that will stay visible. DuressDecoy hides whole Spaces, so anything left in a non-sensitive Space will be shown under the safeword PIN.
Step 2: Access Duress Decoy Settings¶
Navigate to the main menu in the UnoLock app. Select Configuration, then open the Duress Decoy configuration.
If you do not see the option, verify that your Safe is active on the Sovereign tier.
Step 3: Create Your Safeword PIN¶
You will be prompted to enter a safeword PIN that is distinct from your normal PIN. This PIN triggers the duress response when entered.
Choose a PIN that you can remember under stress but that is different enough from your normal PIN that you will not accidentally enter it during normal use. Some users choose a PIN that is easy to remember under pressure, such as a simple pattern or a memorable number, reasoning that under actual duress they may be too stressed to recall something complex. Others choose a PIN that requires deliberate thought to enter, ensuring they never accidentally trigger it.
Enter your chosen safeword PIN and click Next.
Step 4: Review the Duress Decoy Information¶
The app displays an information screen about Spaces and how they relate to the Duress Decoy feature. Read it carefully even if you have read this guide, as the application may contain updated details or warnings. Click Yes to proceed.
Step 5: Confirm the Setup¶
Type "I am sure" into the provided field to confirm the setup, then click Next.
Step 6: Select the Spaces to Protect¶
Choose the Space or Spaces containing sensitive data you want to keep hidden, then click OK. Carefully review the selection to ensure it contains everything you wish to protect, then click Next.
Step 7: Finish Setup¶
Review your selected sensitive Spaces one more time and complete the configuration flow. From this point forward, entering your safeword PIN opens your Safe with the marked Spaces hidden, while entering your normal PIN shows everything.
Making the Visible Spaces Convincing¶
Your non-sensitive Spaces are what an attacker will see. Consider what an attacker would expect to find. If you are a professional, they might expect work documents. If you travel frequently, they might expect travel records. If you hold cryptocurrency, they might expect some wallet information, though perhaps showing modest rather than significant holdings.
For documents, keep files in visible Spaces that appear genuine but contain nothing sensitive. Old versions of documents, templates, records that look real but reveal nothing important. A contract from years ago. A copy of a lease. Tax forms from a previous year. The goal is volume and plausibility, not sensitivity.
For credentials, keep passwords for services you actually use but that contain nothing sensitive. Your streaming service login. A social media account. An old email address. These demonstrate that you use the vault for passwords without exposing anything that matters.
For cryptocurrency, if you hold crypto, consider keeping a wallet with modest holdings in a visible Space. An attacker who expects you to hold cryptocurrency and finds no evidence of it may suspect deception. A small amount, perhaps a few hundred dollars worth, appears cooperative while protecting your actual holdings.
For personal items, include content that makes the visible view feel lived-in. A few photos. Some notes. The kind of miscellaneous content that accumulates in any storage system over time.
Then review the visible view as an attacker would. Does it look like a vault someone actually uses? Is there enough content to seem genuine? The balance is delicate. Too little content looks suspicious. Too much sensitive-looking content might prompt further investigation. Aim for a view that looks boring and complete, the kind of thing that makes an attacker think they have seen everything and there is nothing interesting here.
Maintaining Your Setup¶
A convincing visible view requires ongoing maintenance. Spaces that were last updated months ago may raise suspicion in a situation where the attacker expects recent activity.
Keep using your non-sensitive Spaces naturally so they stay current and lived-in. When you add new sensitive material, put it in a Space marked as sensitive, or update your selection in the Duress Decoy settings.
If your life circumstances change significantly, update your visible Spaces to match. Content that fit you as a student may not fit your life as a professional. Modest visible cryptocurrency holdings may become implausible if you become known as a significant holder.
Operational Considerations¶
DuressDecoy is most effective when the attacker does not know it exists. Discussing the feature, mentioning it to others who might be compromised, or leaving evidence of its configuration reduces its effectiveness.
Practice entering your safeword PIN under stress. The moment of actual coercion is not the time to struggle to remember which PIN does what. The motion should be automatic, allowing you to enter the safeword PIN smoothly while appearing to comply fully.
Consider the relationship between DuressDecoy and other protective features. TimeLock can make an access key temporarily unusable during high-risk periods. Plausible deniability in the HighRisk tier permanently deletes marked sensitive Spaces rather than hiding them. DuressDecoy provides deception when you must show something. These features complement each other for different scenarios.
Troubleshooting¶
If you accidentally enter your safeword PIN during normal use, your sensitive Spaces are hidden, not deleted. Log out and open the Safe with your normal PIN to see them again.
If a sensitive Space seems to be missing during normal use, verify that you signed in with your normal PIN rather than the safeword PIN.
If Spaces you expected to be hidden are still visible under the safeword, return to the Duress Decoy settings and review which Spaces are marked as sensitive.
Security Considerations¶
DuressDecoy protects against coercion by satisfying demands for access without revealing your sensitive Spaces. It does not protect against attackers who already know about the feature, already know what your Safe contains, or demand that you sign in again with your normal PIN.
If you have discussed DuressDecoy with someone who informs the attacker, your deception is compromised. Keep independent backups of anything whose loss you cannot accept, and remember that copies outside UnoLock are not hidden.
For maximum protection in high-threat environments, consider the HighRisk tier's plausible deniability, which permanently deletes the marked sensitive Spaces so they no longer exist to be extracted.
Next Steps¶
After configuring DuressDecoy, consider these related protective measures.
Configure TimeLock for situations where you want an access key unusable during high-risk periods such as border crossings or travel through hostile territory. TimeLock and DuressDecoy serve different purposes and work well together.
Review the Privacy Advocate use case for comprehensive guidance on operating in high-threat environments where DuressDecoy is one component of broader operational security.
Explore Spaces further if you want to keep different types of assets separated with different access controls.
Related Guides¶
For understanding the broader philosophy of coercion resistance, see the DSG framework white paper.
For TimeLock, see the TimeLock feature page in the docs.
For comprehensive operational security in high-threat environments, see the Privacy Advocate use case.