Release & Monitoring
Dead Man's Switch, Liveness Tracking, and how the protocol handles succession.
Release & Monitoring
Activity monitoring ensures your vault remains safely locked while you are present, and transitions to the release sequence only when a genuine succession event occurs. Inheribase tracks your digital pulse to distinguish between a temporary absence and confirmed inactivity.
Release Triggers
Release Triggers define the precise moment your vault "matures" — meaning its contents are decrypted and made available to your heirs.
1. Dead Man's Switch (Recommended)
Automatic release based on your activity. If you miss your scheduled check-ins, the protocol assumes a transition event and begins the release sequence.
- Check-in Frequency: Choose between weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
- Verification Window: If a check-in is missed, a contestation window begins to prevent accidental release.
2. Manual Release
You manually trigger the release from your dashboard. Useful for planned handovers while you are still active.
3. Guardian Claim (High Security)
Your Guardians can initiate a release by reaching a majority consensus. This provides a human layer of verification if automated triggers are not preferred.
- Evidence Based: The initiating guardian provides a narrative or link to evidence (e.g., a notice of passing).
- Consensus Required: Other guardians must concur with the claim to reach the threshold before the release sequence begins.
- Contestation: As with all triggers, you have a 30-day window to cancel any false claims.
Activity Monitoring
Any authenticated action automatically resets your liveness timer and Dead Man's Switch:
- Dashboard login and navigation
- File uploads and downloads
- Settings changes
- MCP
check_intool calls from an AI assistant
For scheduled check-ins, Inheribase sends an email notification with a secure one-click confirmation link.
The Contestation Timeline
When the protocol detects prolonged inactivity, it follows a protective sequence before releasing any data:
| Phase | Action |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Check-in deadline missed. Multiple alerts sent to vault owner. |
| Day 0-30 | Contestation period active. Owner can cancel the release with one click. |
| Day 7 | Guardians notified to prepare for potential succession. |
| Day 30 | Contestation window closes. Release sequence begins. Heirs are notified. |
Note: The 30-day default is configurable to 14, 60, 90, or 180 days by power users.
During the contestation period, no data is shared with heirs. A single
authenticated action (dashboard login, API call, or check-in) cancels the
release and returns the vault to an active state.
Edge Cases
- Incapacitation: If you are incapacitated (not deceased), the Switch will fire once the contestation window lapses. If you recover later, the vault has already been delivered to your heirs. Extend your contestation window to 90 or 180 days if this is a concern.
- Long Vacations: If you plan to be offline longer than your check-in frequency (e.g., a 2-month sailing trip), adjust your Check-in Frequency or Contestation Window beforehand.
- Pausing the Vault: If you no longer need active monitoring, switch your trigger to Manual Release. This stops the Dead Man's Switch timer and halts the consumption of monitoring credits. Your data remains anchored permanently.