What is Digg?68 Comments
- thenativeraver, on 10/12/2007, -2/+74Aww I was hoping it would explode.
- dongiaconia, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22I think it should explode and let out toxic gas, just to make sure you get the #*$%ER
- digitalgopher, on 10/12/2007, -5/+19dude, that would have been AWESOME! i would love to see this thing blow up in someone's hand as they try to hack into it. Now THAT's security innovation!
- thepotoo, on 10/12/2007, -4/+18heh, your moderation factor is at -1 too. Funny how these things turn out, isn't it?
- baltakatei, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14"This USB Drive will self-destruct in five seconds."
*plugs it into Chief Quimby's computer*
*walks away*
'SPLODE!! - bradbeattie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Another alternative would be for the USB drive to try and install a root kit. :)
- binky79, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9It would be nicer if it destroyed/wiped the computer trying to brute force it. People would think twice about stealing them at all.
- adidax, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Explode, and kill whoever stole it, just hope you don't forget your own password though.
- QuikSilvr, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9In James Bond it would have exploded. :-( At least the Sean Connery movies.
- elroy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7thermite would be awesome.
- cfsporn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5The title should have said "Kingston USB key automatically wipes itself." Self-destruct implies something very exciting.
- cybrauralninjuh, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Good job on the use of {'splode}.
- Zippo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I'll get you next time, Gadget... next time! >:E
- lokai, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4If I were to steal one of these 4 gigabyte flash drives from someone, I wouldn't care that the data would erase itself; I would just pocket the 4 gigabyte flash drive for myself and reformat it. Perhaps the data would be safe, but I would still come away with a nice little prize, provided that the drive is still functional after all of this.
- breakneckridge, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4A self destructing usb drive? That'll go perfectly with my secret shoe phone. Hello Money Penny.
- geoboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3But saying "automatically wipes itself" implies something very... yeah
- Kruncher, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Couldn't you just "dd" the the USB drive to a file, mount it, and start hacking away?
- repellent, on 10/12/2007, -0/+325 LOGINS FAILED.
ERASING CONTENTS.
...
Enter New Password: _ - konkushn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3It should upload the "jolly" virus from Independence Day and show the skull and crossbones - arh arh arh arh arh!
Jeff Goldblum is the greatest hacker in the universe.. :D - beni, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I thought the title read "Klingon Self-Destructing USB Device." Either I've been watching way too much Star Trek, or I need some sleep. Probably both.
- tiuk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Reminds me of a program I wrote ages ago. It would encrypt a text file, then when the time came to decrypt it you would have three (I think that was the default amount, this was a long time ago) tries to enter the correct password. If you failed to it would delete the file and the program itself.
And to those saying "if it's properly incrypted, without the key all you have is scrambled data anyway" I think the self-erase feature is meant to prevent bruteforce attempts. - pinkfireball, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3$48 for 256 megabytes, to $347 for the 4GB gadget.
googled to an article @ internetnews.com - Eaglefire, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3If the feature was properly implemented in hardware, you couldn't just grab and bruteforce an image so simply.
Say the drive has a read-only partition that contains the unlocker executable, and a special data file. When the key is plugged in, this is the only partition visible or accessible to the operating system (the chip on the USB stick can do this). The executable writes to the data file to "try" a password, and the USB stick checks if the password flies. If it does, it simply disconnects itself and reconnects as the full drive (providing on-the-fly encryption). If it fails 25 times in a row the host OS never has access to the flash and the device erases itself.
Of course, you could just smash the USB stick and read the flash chip out using a flash chip reader. Then you could bruteforce the encryption that way. You would, however, need some serious electronic engineering skill to do that.
I should also mention that executables for other operating systems could be released for use in unlocking the drives for other operating systems. - GGERG15, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6that is so inspector gadget!
- alej744, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2then someone will be an ***** and erase your data anyway.
btw, how does this work?
is it cross-platform? - mikeyG9x, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Old info, but the exploding microchip is not science fiction (may not be implemented yet, but is entirely possible):
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/01/020110074039.htm
Maybe the military already has this... - therealdave, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Heh, I first read that as "Klingon's Self-Destructing USB Drive" ... A Klingon's data never surrenders
- fusebox, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3If only it came with 'go go gadget arms' too...
- Kruncher, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@logan
It still uses a file system (in most cases, FAT32). Most file systems (the windows ones at least (NTFS and FAT32)) only delete the file entry, not the data. Please correct me if I am wrong, but that is how I've understood it. - EvilVin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Heh so would I, but I guess that might have caused lawsuits.
- burke, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I think there should be a small detonator embedded in the memory chip that is rigged to go off when the case is opened, in addition to the 25-guess deletion. That would prevent people from opening it up and just popping out the chip.
- silhouette88, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yeah, this is what I want my gadget-loving CEO to be using when he's on the road somewhere and can't remember his password to decrypt his ultra-important Powerpoint presentation.
"It says Enter Password (Last Chance Sucka): I've tried my same password 24 times and it's *still* not working" - Thyzisen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's not really self-destruct (it's not going to explode, imagine trying to get that through security), it's more of self-deletion.
- jeremythomas, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think that encryption is pretty standard on USB drives these days... My only question is how does it erase the files? Does it use wiping?
- seventoes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You apperently dont know what hype is... Hype is when a company anounces something way ahead of time so that people will talk about it. Those people talking about it are the hype, since they will be talking about it for so long, the product will get better and better in their mind.
- daedal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hmm. Interesting gadget. I'd think about picking one up depending on the price.
- TKn00b, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Inspired by Ramzi and his ultimate hacker laptop. 3000 degrees molten iron.
- matt0baba, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1if anyone can tell me how exactly it erases i can for sure add a mini detonator...like a couple of model rocket engine fuses .... just wire it to the contacts on the chip that makes it erase ....easy as pie ....
- pbransford, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I wonder what happens if you plug it into something other than windows? No way that's gonna work without special software.
The "theif" could just dd the contents raw and put it back, and crack it on their own time without fear of self-destruct or discovery. - Logan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Oh really? I wasn't aware of that. Of course, I use HFS+ and Reiser normally. Do those completely delete the file?
- Logan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It doesn't matter. On a flash drive, unlike hard drives, once data is erased, it's gone, and there is no way to recover it.
- baronvonrolo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's handy if you have some sort of secret formula for some sort of mega virus, but I think it's a tad excessive for a word document with some kids homework on it.
- dslknight, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Or you could just use your own thumbdrive and put a secure mountable file on it with truecrypt.
- alf86, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'd like to see it wipe the hard drive clean. Maybe then release a small quantity of mustard gas or something.
- sinembarg0, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@bradbeattie
only a sony drive would even think about installing a rootkit - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I was hoping it would explode.
- cursor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1BTW the drive is available in lesser capacities as well; 256/512 MB, 1 GB & 2 GB.
- tavisjohn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Nice idea.... However the drive should not just erase data, but actually kill itself! That way the thief can not even have the spoils of a 4gig Flash Drive! (It would be even cooler if it could fry the USB hub/controller it is connected to as well... Teach the thief a lesson for trying to steal data.)
- goliath553, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1if my budddy had this i would try to brute force 25 times and self destruct his drive .... thats what i would do
- hyaena, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1nerdy minds think alike
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