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Ovrdrive does not encrypt its contents by default but has a uniquely physical security mechanism and can be rigged to self-destruct - by heating itself to over 100 degrees C:
Through GitHub and Crowd Supply, Ryan Walker of Interrupt Labs (via CNX Software) is releasing a security-focused, open-source USB flash drive called Ovrdrive USB, which boasts a self-destruct mechanism that heats the flash chip to over 100 degrees Celsius.
The Ovrdrive USB is unencrypted by default, so it should still be legal in countries where encryption is otherwise illegal while providing an extra degree of (physical) security not matched by our current best flash drives.
First, the Ovrdrive USB design functions pretty simply. It's mostly a run-of-the-mill USB flash drive with a unique activation mechanism. For it to be detected by your machine, you have to rapidly insert the drive three consecutive times actually to turn it on. Failure to do so will hide the drive's partition and give the impression that it's broken. Initially, it was supposed to self-destruct, but it proved too challenging to mass produce, forcing Walker to change the drive.
[...] In its crowdfunding campaign on Crowd Supply, the flash drive is slated for an August 2024 release and priced at $69 with free US domestic shipping or $12 international shipping for the rest of the world. At the original time of writing, the flash drive has reached 70% of its funding, with two days remaining on the funding deadline.
Related: Report Reveals Decline In Quality Of USB Sticks And MicroSD Cards
(Score: 5, Touché) by Nuke on Wednesday February 14 2024, @01:13PM (2 children)
Uncrackable, as long as the secret never gets out on the internet that it requires three insertions to switch it on. And what could possibly go wrong with burning the thing out on your desk? - oh, I get it, that would be the bad guy's desk of course. Why not just put some serious explosive in there to take their hand off while we are at it?
(Score: 2) by looorg on Wednesday February 14 2024, @01:25PM
Right. Cause it won't look suspicious at all if you are sitting there jabbing your USB stick into the machine like as if you are trying to impregnate it. Subtle. One would think people that "needs" this are, or fear that they are, under surveillance.
If you put a small Termite charge or something similar onto it I guess they might not be able to sell it, you can't bring it on travels etc. Sitting in some public area (train, airplane ...) and you take a few seconds to long and you just jab it in twice and then it all just goes boom.
(Score: 3, Informative) by number11 on Wednesday February 14 2024, @05:23PM
The original article says:
So this is a "some assembly required" thing.