From the I Can’t Believe They’re Serious department, Bruce Schneier has blogged about a hilarious memory key product (link fixed) that doesn’t get its security from sound, well implemented cryptography, but from.. get this… a two wheel physical combination lock that hides the contact pins!
Make sure your important files are locked up with a Combination Lock USB Flash Drive. Each custom flash drive uses two 10-digit dials to provide access to the USB plug and keep your files safe.
The best (and most revealing) part of the product description is in the second paragraph.
A great gift for technology companies, these logoed flash drives show potential customers how seriously your company takes its security.
Yes, yes it does.
What’s worrying is I’d wager a nice sushi lunch that if someone like Senator Conroy saw this, he’d buy hundreds of them and use them to carry around sensitive, confidential government data about us. I’m scared, really scared.
This sounds awesome! I mean, just think of how frustrating it would be to would be hackers to get their hands on this baby, only to find they would have to try maybe 100 different combinations to get to the data on the drive! They’d give up before they got to 10! LOL
snarf
> What’s worrying is I’d wager a nice sushi lunch that if someone like Senator Conroy saw this, he’d buy hundreds of them and use them to carry around sensitive, confidential government data about us. I’m scared, really scared
I hate to tell you this, but that’s exactly how USB Flash drives are in government. You can’t use your own (might have viruses). You can’t even use a new one (might have viruses). But, you can buy a certified clean one from a preferred supplier. Once you have transferred the confidential data from point A to point B, the flash drive is securely destroyed (crushed into a fine dust). I tried to point out that US Dept of Defense Standard 5220.22-M (3 Secure Deletes is enough) has existed forever. *blank stare*
@Joshnunn Heh exactly, I mean 100 combinations! And if you were lazy you could just crack it open and put the unexcrypted chip on a daughterboard.
@Alex Then I sure as heck hope “Staples Promotional Materials” aren’t a preferred supplier! As for secure erasing, that’s the one issue I’m not as worried about, magnetic media are the ones you want to really securely erase several times before giving it up.
I’d buy it just for the hilarity of owning one. I’d probably use it too :P
@Zombie_Plan I wholeheartedly approve :D I’d rock up with one if I had to do a presentation in front of a lot of people just to see the looks on people’s faces as I fiddle with dials. “Sorry guys, the PowerPoint will have to wait for a sec…!”
@Ruben Hey now, slow down hacker boy. Chip on a daughter what now? I keep forgetting you’re one of those trcksy types we’re trying to block from our internets. The evidence against you just keeps piling up.
@Joshnunn Wait, you’re one of Conroy’s cronies? *Running away!!!*