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Self-Destructing USB Drive

FRIDAY MARCH 17 2006 8:51 AM

Submitted by WilWheaton. Edited By WilWheaton.

Those USB flash drives sure are cool, aren't they? They're an easy way to move documents and photos around from machine to machine, and you can even run an operating system off of them, if you can spin your propeller cap fast enough.

But what happens if you drop it on the bus? Or you decide to throw it at a passing bird, miss, and end up dropping it right into the hands of an 3v!L H4Xx0r who is on jet-powered skates and runs away with all your precious porn^W data?

The kids at Kington (which keeps looking like "Klingon" to me -- must be some sort of PTSD) have come up with a simple, yet effective way to mollify your fears: the self-destructing usb drive.

Trying to force your way into the new Kingston Data Traveler Elite Privacy Edition for a competitor's data? Think again. The Kingston can reportedly melt the data, in a digital way, after just 25 consecutive failed passwords. This should supposedly thwart the "brute force attack" in an attempt to guess your password.

I hear that there is a Klingon USB drive in the works, which uses bat'leH technology to announce "Hab SoSlI' Quch!" or "yIH ngaghwI'!" to the would-be data thief, causing great dishonor and death by painstick.

(Link via fantacular)

25 Comments

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OctoberSeven

Downers Grove, IL

December 2002

MAR 17, 2006 08:55 AM

25? Is that all? Hell it takes me nearly that many tries to remember my SG password sometimes.

TheRedBaron

Cambridge, MA

November 2003

MAR 17, 2006 08:57 AM

WilWheaton said:
But what happens if you drop it on the bus? Or you decide to throw it at a passing bird, miss, and end up dropping it right into the hands of an 3v!L H4Xx0r who is on jet-powered skates and runs away with all your precious porn^W data?

I have had irrational, cold-sweat inducing fears of exactly this ever since I first saw the Jetsons. I live in constant fear.

INCCMR

I'm lost

March 2006

MAR 17, 2006 09:09 AM

Oh shit... I gotta get rid of this stick... *chucks out of window and hides under table*

hadees

Austin, TX

December 2003

MAR 17, 2006 09:14 AM

WilWheaton said:
(which keeps looking like "Klingon" to me -- must be some sort of PTSD)

RobDetroit

I'm lost

May 2005

MAR 17, 2006 09:17 AM

psi11y 3v!L H4Xx0r 1337 @ n00bd00d.
Ev3rything made by man can be hacked by one.

What happens if you have hundreds of thousands of millions of bots programmed to attempt only 24 guesses each.? Couldnt that be designed to 'thwart' the 25 guess limit?

MissTyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

MAR 17, 2006 09:29 AM

WilWheaton said:
The kids at Kington (which keeps looking like "Klingon" to me -- must be some sort of PTSD)...

At the risk of sounding like I am kissing your ass, Wil, this just made me love you a little bit more.

Chitin

New York, NY

December 2004

MAR 17, 2006 10:24 AM

RobDetroit said:
psi11y 3v!L H4Xx0r 1337 @ n00bd00d.
Ev3rything made by man can be hacked by one.

What happens if you have hundreds of thousands of millions of bots programmed to attempt only 24 guesses each.? Couldnt that be designed to 'thwart' the 25 guess limit?

I think it would still be 25 missed passwords in a row, doesn't matter who's puttin' 'em in...

samuraicowboy

Cordova, TN

July 2003

MAR 17, 2006 10:44 AM

Its 25 in a row, which means in theory you can have thousands of incorrects, as long as they werent in a row. At work if you type in your password 3 times wrong you have to reset it. After the second one, just close the login screen, reopen and you start fresh at 0.

Cigarette

Cleveland, OH

April 2004

MAR 17, 2006 10:50 AM

Wil, that may be the first Star Wars reference I've heard from you. I think it means you're healing.

Chitin

New York, NY

December 2004

MAR 17, 2006 10:57 AM

samuraicowboy said:
Its 25 in a row, which means in theory you can have thousands of incorrects, as long as they werent in a row. At work if you type in your password 3 times wrong you have to reset it. After the second one, just close the login screen, reopen and you start fresh at 0.

Yeah, but given that this is supposed to be a high-security device, one has to assume it won't be THAT stupid.

AceTracer

Hollywood, FL

January 2004

MAR 17, 2006 11:29 AM

MissTyrios said:

WilWheaton said:
The kids at Kington (which keeps looking like "Klingon" to me -- must be some sort of PTSD)...

At the risk of sounding like I am kissing your ass, Wil, this just made me love you a little bit more.

Indeed, that made me chuckle.

lafurdefa

Los Angeles, CA

March 2006

MAR 17, 2006 11:37 AM

this pleases me.

and yes, i know he's not a klingon. or kington if you will.

HathOriginal

Danvers, MA

December 2002

MAR 17, 2006 03:38 PM

wow... how very Inspector Gadget of them!

MisterSatan

Vancouver, WA

August 2002

MAR 17, 2006 04:17 PM

WilWheaton said:
I hear that there is a Klingon USB drive in the works, which uses bat'leH technology to announce "Hab SoSlI' Quch!" or "yIH ngaghwI'!" to the would-be data thief, causing great dishonor and death by painstick.

Sometimes you make me sad for you, Wil Wheaton.

FrankMask

Saint Paul, MN

June 2003

MAR 17, 2006 05:43 PM

If you or any of your impossible mission force should be captured then this USB drive will go right on being totally awesome and protecting national secrets, even though you are a loser and a bad spy.

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