News - SecureDrives' SSD self-destructs when you text it a code word

[HEXUS]

GSM-equipped SSDs offer "physical destruction of storage NAND-Flash".

Read more.

[RobbieRoy]

I question whether there would be any demand in the retail market for such a device. I do, though, see it would satisfy certain paranoid users, or those with something to hide that they really don't want the wrong people seeing.

[shaithis]

How very mission impossible!

[jackvdbuk]

perfect for the savvy criminal

[simonpreston]

I question whether there would be any demand in the retail market for such a device. I do, though, see it would satisfy certain paranoid users, or those with something to hide that they really don't want the wrong people seeing.

Jobs that see people with highly sensitive data on laptops that they can take home with them (no getting away from it in this day and age) would be interested in this, I'd imagine. One codeword to the SSD and pow!

Just be careful of those 3am drunk texts, now.

[Animus404]

Starvation of a GSM signal... such as on a Transatlantic flight? (Assuming these can be fitted to a laptop)

[Saracen]

How very mission impossible!

That, exactly.

Look, I'm pretty .... erm .... careful about privacy. Careful to the point of having been called paranoid. That might be overstating it a touch, but yeah, I'll concede that protecting my privacy and confidentiality is .... ummm .... more of a priority for me than most.

But to my mind, a device going this far is either for those with data that's commercially extremely valuable, or for the boss of MI5 or the CIA carrying the personnel roster of their undercover operatives. Or, of course, for terrorists. If I was running a terrorist organisation, this type of capability might appeal to me. If a drive or computer with sensitive data gets seized, I can remote-destroy it with a GSM message. And if it gets blocked from GSM, it destructs anyway. Yup, if I was a terrorist boss, I'd buy into that.

But outside of specialist situations, it's just .... errr ..... excessive. Even for me.

[LeetyMcLeet]

I question whether there would be any demand in the retail market for such a device. I do, though, see it would satisfy certain paranoid users, or those with something to hide that they really don't want the wrong people seeing.

I dunno. I recon they'll make a killing if they target the priest community. They'll buy these by the pallet lol

[Saracen]

I dunno. I recon they'll make a killing if they target the priest community. They'll buy these by the pallet lol

And I thought I was cynical.

[peterb]

I would be surprised if these are available to individual end users, for the very reasons given in some of the posts above. These are products designed (imho) for Government and military use.

[kidLink]

Double edged sword. Imagine getting this accidently or maliciously tripped? Poof goes the data (which I assume will not be backed up as not to defeat the purpose)

[DevDrake]

Hey i remember similar drive was not allowed for production, it was the SSD with just physical trigger.
hmmm fishy...

The only problem with this, that this is SSD, you just cannot have sensitive data on it, because anyway it may die randomly. So you have to have the data on at last two of drive like that, it is damn expensive if you aren't associated with terrorist nor mafia.
The corporate data is usually precious, but not that much you have to be able to destroy it - you still have shield of lawyers with take your moneys back even if someone will steal your idea.

Also i wonder what kind of information can be get via the GSM network - you probably can know if the drive is operating or not at last. You can track the drive physical place probably also.

I also assume that the buyers of this drive will be close monitored, because why you are buying this kind of drive - yes some of us just dont like to share ideas and data with the world, because we feel it is precious(at least i do). But other than few of us like that - its either police or terrorist/mafia.
And because of that it is wise to look closer at the buyers.

I wonder what kind of data the company must share with the "police" to make the business running.