2026-08-30
Contact me (PGP-encrypted)
- Email: [email protected]
- PGP pubkey: horse.pub
- How to email me? Anonymous email recommended. Using PGP encryption recommended.
- Frequency of checking emails: Last checked 2026-07-31. I will check my emails atleast once in three months.
- Warrant canary: Last updated 2026-07-31. I have not received any legal request involving data or server access to samuelshadrach.com. I will update this paragraph atleast once in three months.
- Proof of date: Ethereum block height 25860775, block hash 0xf15fe1d93b3af2df4ae953239d67562c6c0493b19d79f3f0a9c7da26f991fb42. This proves this document was edited at date equal to or later than 2026-08-29
- Proof of identity: TO DO. (Only long-form video or in-person meeting counts as conclusive proof IMO, and I haven't yet uploaded such a video yet.)
- Overall security: Medium
- If you don't need a high level of security: You probably don't need to contact me on this address, just use my other (less secure) protonmail or Signal instead. I do not check emails on this address frequently, as mentioned below.
- If you need a moderate level of security: You can send me PGP-encrypted messages on this address
- If you need the highest possible security: I do not follow security practises that are sufficient for this. You can either submit your leak to a server listed on the official SecureDrop server directory, or redact and publish the leak yourself (to ethereum blobdata or similar).
- Why do I maintain a PGP-encrypted email address that I only check once in 3 months?
- You are welcome to contact me on this address for any purpose whatsoever.
- The primary reason I decided to maintain this email address is for a worst-case scenario where you have some leaked information or documents that you wish to publish, but are unable to work with a journalist operating SecureDrop. For example, this could happen if the US govt became more authoritarian and prevented journalists living on US soil from publishing your leak. Since I live in India, it may hence be easier for me to redact and publish your leak.
- As of 2026-08, this is a highly unlikely scenario. In most scenarios, you should not be working with me. You can either submit your leak to a SecurDrop server, or redact and publish the leak yourself. Journalists operating Securedrop typically have a bigger legal budget than I do, they have more previous experience doing redaction than I do, and they may have some political immunity provided by the people funding their media house.
- If however, we end up in a worst case scenario where you are relying on me to redact and publish your leak, then I will probably do my best to actually upgrade my security practises. My current security level as of 2026-08 is only Medium, but there are steps I can take to bring it closer to High, if it were absolutely necessary.
Security practises followed
Security, digital
- Dedicated PC for this purpose.
- Inbox and keys accessed on TAILS only.
- 128-bit memorised seedphrase (never used outside of tails) + 128-bit seedphrase in secure physical location (never used outside of tails) + PGP privkey (has left tails). All 3 pieces of info required to decrypt.
- All emails are deleted within 1 month of being read.
Security, physical
- This inbox is only operated from secure physical location. Seedphrase (mentioned above) stored in secure physical location.
- I do not live 24x7 in a secure physical location. I visit secure location to operate the inbox.
- My physical location is not secret. There exist people (including people I don't trust) who know where I live.
Legal
- Do not have significant legal budget
- Likely to cooperate with law enforcement in India in case of investigation. Discretion used on case by case basis.
Social / psychological
- Operating solo. No dedicated team
- Only operating part-time not full-time
- No social isolation practised
- Keeping secrets solo may be psychologically unsafe
- Sober since 2026-02
- I blog about my life, which could leave clues about me or my social circle.
Server host
- Proton may be preserving email content and metadata (timestamps, file sizes, email addresses used, browser fingerprints, etc)
- Proton has previously cooperated with law enforcement in investigations
- Proton has never encountered a significant breach of data or passwords, as of 2025-06
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