Self-destructing USB flash drive goes on sale – and while it comes without encryption, at least there’s no finger-licking involved this time
If you’re the kind of person who needs to carry sensitive data around and worry about it falling into the wrong hands, you might be interested in a new USB flash drive with a self-destruct feature that will soon go on sale later this year.
The Ovrdrive USB, developed by Ryan Walker of Suspend Labsis a unique device that heats the flash chip to more than 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) as a safety measure.
The first version of the Ovrdrive USB required wet fingers to activate the drive, a feature that has fortunately since been removed. Instead, a secret process of three insertions is now required to securely unlock the data. If this process is not followed, the drive’s partition remains hidden, making it appear broken (the drive was originally designed to self-destruct, but this proved too challenging for mass production).
No encryption
Ovrdrive USB’s self-destruct mechanism reverses the voltage supplied to the device, heating it to approximately 100 degrees Celsius. While this may not be hot enough to destroy the flash chips, users can add a connection (not included for obvious reasons) to ensure complete self-destruction.
Unlike other security-focused flash drives, the Ovrdrive USB does not encrypt its contents by default, making it legal in countries where encryption is banned. If you need extra protection, you can easily encrypt the USB drive yourself using Windows’ BitLocker or the open-source VeraCrypt.
The Ovrdrive USB is currently being crowdfunded Crowd offerwith a release date set for August 2024. It costs $69 with free US domestic shipping (or $12 international shipping) and is currently 104% funded with 22 days left in the campaign.
While the Ovrdrive USB isn’t a replacement for the security provided by cryptographic encryption, it is undeniably very cool, with a unique physical security feature that wouldn’t look out of place in a Mission Impossible movie.