Infrastructure that is understandable
Home labs, servers, networks, storage, automation, and operational tooling built to be maintainable—not merely impressive.
Systems · Security · Experiments
I build things that keep working.
I’m Steven Crawford — a systems administrator, security-minded builder, and serial project starter. I work across infrastructure, software, resilient communications, AI, and practical tools designed to solve real problems.
Built from curiosity.
Finished with discipline.
My projects usually begin with a simple question: “Why doesn’t this work better?” From there, I design, test, break, rebuild, and document a practical answer.
Controls that support the operator
Secure-by-design workflows, restricted administration paths, isolation, verification, and sensible defaults that reduce error.
Ideas tested in the real world
Resilient communications, local AI, unusual hardware, software prototypes, and whatever useful problem catches my attention next.
Public downloads
EFIT
releases
EFIT — Ephemeral File Isolation Terminal — is a disposable Kubuntu environment for inspecting files from removable media. The new version combines Cerberus Scanner, ClamAV, YARA-X, and a Linux driver for encrypted USBs.
The download here is the latest build. The ISO is listed with its own checksum. Always verify the SHA-256 checksum before using a downloaded image.
Version 1.2.1 - Experimental Build
EFIT-1.2.1
818fc850ef27de1bbd7fbfd72a988c4873b8d089af0b2c457e517bfd8946474a
Download ISO
SHA-256 also distributed to subscribers
EFIT 1.2.1 · Kubuntu 26.04 · Cerberus 0.2.2
Inspect USB files.
Understand the results.
Built for the person doing the scan, including junior operators. Choose a folder, run the checks, and review clear results from a local browser interface. ClamAV and YARA-X detections have been confirmed with harmless test files in the live environment.
A scanner you can understand
Open Cerberus Scanner from the application menu. Results appear as clickable file cards: green for no detections after completed checks, red for detections, and amber for incomplete scans or items needing review. Each card explains the result.
ClamAV and YARA-X together
ClamAV signatures and YARA Forge Core rules provide two detection engines. Both run locally for offline use. ClamAV inspects supported archive contents within scan limits; YARA-X currently checks the outer file. Database and rule updates are prepared before building the image.
Encrypted media on Linux
An experimental password-based reader exposes supported encrypted USB files read-only for browsing in Dolphin and scanning in Cerberus. The aim is to inspect files directly from encrypted media and remove the extra Windows transfer step. Testing on populated USBs is ongoing.
A fresh session each boot
The current version boots into a Kubuntu live desktop with
toram and persistence disabled. It runs without a
Windows VM. With enough RAM and a completed copy to memory, the
boot medium can be removed. Save reports to separate media
before ending the session.
Restricted scanning workers
Scanning engines run in Bubblewrap sandboxes with read-only access to selected files and no network access. File-size, archive, and runtime limits bound each scan. Errors and skipped coverage remain visible for review.
Results you can take away
Inspect matched rules and engine findings, open Scanner details for diagnostic output, and save an HTML report. A no-detections result describes the checks performed; it does not guarantee that a file is safe or approve it for transfer.
How I build.
I favour systems that are useful under pressure, understandable months later, and honest about their trade-offs.
Practical over fashionable
The right tool is the one that solves the problem reliably.
Secure by construction
Reduce dangerous choices instead of relying on perfect behaviour.
Failure is a design input
Assume components, networks, and people will occasionally fail.
Build, test, document
An undocumented system is only temporarily understood.
Get in touch
Good systems begin with a useful problem.
This site is where I publish the projects, experiments, and ideas that survive contact with reality.