How do self-destructing memory sticks work?
The convenience of the common memory stick is matched only by its liability – lose it, and there’s nothing to stop anyone from accessing your files. To combat this, the data
protection company ExactTrak has developed a memory stick called the Security Guardian, which houses a SIM card and battery, allowing the owner to track it via GPS and GSM.
They can manipulate data on the flash drive, remotely deleting or disabling files at will and, because it has an independent, USB-rechargeable power supply, the Security Guardian needn’t be plugged into a computer for the owner to do this.
The real ‘007’ feature has to be the kill signal: as a last resort, the owner can order the Security Guardian to self-destruct, sending a high-voltage charge from its power supply into the chip, destroying it and erasing all of the data on the drive in the process.