SecureDrives SSDs come with remote-controlled physical self-destruct

Posted on Wednesday, October 01 2014 @ 14:27 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
UK-based security firm SecureDrives takes secure solid state disks to the next level. The company's Autothysis SSDs not only have 256-bit AES encryption with two-factor authentication but also have a physical self-destruct function.

The Autothysis can require a physical token or smartphone app for secondary authentication and in case it gets stolen you can scramble the data by "flipping" the encryption key or even do a remote self-destruct. SecureDrives doesn't reveal a lot of details about the self-destruct feature but claims this functionality physically fractures the NAND flash memory and security processor in a way that resembles taking a hammer to the drive.

The self-destruct feature doesn't require external power, the disk has an internal battery capable of handling the job. The disk has a GSM module so the self-destruct can be triggered remotely via a text message but it's also possible to configure the drive to self-destruct when the SATA connection is disrupted, when physical tampering is detected, when battery power is low or when the GSM module goes without a signal for a predetermined period of time.

Unfortunately, the disk is a pretty poor performer and the pricing is sky high. For this type of James Bond-class security you have to pay $1,665 for a 128GB disk with max performance of only 127MB/s.
All of this is wildly excessive for the vast majority of users, but it's still pretty cool. Too bad the underlying SSD is kind of a dud. There's no word on the controller, but the NAND comes from 20-nm Micron MLC stock, and the SATA interface is limited to 3Gbps. Peak sequential throughput clocks in at a mere 127MB/s. Then there's the price: $1665 for a 128GB drive, which works out to over $13/GB. And that only includes one year of GSM service.
SecureDrives SSD

SecureDrives SSD

Source: The Tech Report


About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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