Self-destructing PC could be most ‘physically secure’ computer ever built

Do you take your computer’s security very seriously? Then a new PC which is set to ship next month may well be of interest, as it boasts a number of security features and defense measures, including a self-destruct mechanism which kicks in to wipe data if someone physically tampers with the machine.

Orwl is a compact PC – it’s a disc-shaped device about the size of your palm – which is designed to be the ‘world’s most physically secure computer’ according to the maker.

It comes with a unique key fob that uses NFC to communicate with the machine, and should the fob (and therefore the user) move more than 10 meters away from the PC, it locks itself – and shuts down its USB (and other) ports so they can’t possibly be used as an avenue for potential skullduggery.

Orwl is also full of various tamper-monitoring sensors (including motion/shock detection and temperature monitors), and should it detect any tampering with its case by a would-be attacker trying to gain physical access to the PC, it can wipe the encryption key for its self-encrypted (RSA-4096) Intel SSD – meaning that your data won’t fall into the wrong hands.

Super secure

The device also benefits from other security measures including secure boot, secure firmware upgrade, and a password is needed to turn it on (backed up with two-factor authentication, plus the aforementioned key fob).

Core specs include a Skylake Core m7 processor (up to 1.2GHz) with Intel HD Graphics 515, 8GB of system RAM, and the encrypted SSD can be up to 480GB in size.

You also get 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE 4.2, an HDMI connector and a pair of USB Type-C ports. It can come with Windows installed, or you can go for Linux: either Ubuntu or Qubes OS (the latter being a specifically security-focused distro to tighten things up even further on the software side).

As we already mentioned, Orwl is set to ship in August, but it doesn’t come cheap with the PC starting at $1,699 (around £1,310, AU$2,230) for the base version with a plastic case (there’s also a ‘glass’ model) and a 120GB SSD.

Obviously it’s a niche product at that price bracket, aimed at real security enthusiasts only (and indeed businesses and government employees). But nonetheless it’s an interesting look at some of the fancy security technology we might eventually see being incorporated into more run-of-the-mill PCs in the future.

Via: BGR

TOPICS

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

Latest in Windows PCs
Dell XPS 13 and Alienware M16 laptops on purple background with big savings text overlay
Dell's site-wide Tech Days sale is live: see the 6 best laptop and gaming laptop deals from just $299
Microsoft presenting Surface Laptop and Surface Pro devices.
Microsoft has pulled a miracle: its Surface Copilot PCs are now the most repairable in the market
asian woman using laptop at business table
Finally, some good Copilot news: Microsoft could be making 16GB RAM a standard for AI PCs
The Acer Predator Orion 3000 gaming PC on a blue and pink background with the text 'TechRadar Cyber Monday PC deals'.
Cyber Monday PC deals 2023 – the best extended deals still live
The Microsoft Outlook logo on a laptop screen
Two unloved Windows 11 apps are getting canned - but will their replacement be any better?
Business man holding a tablet
The PCs protecting workers on the move
Latest in News
Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con up-close from app store
Nintendo's new app gave us another look at the Switch 2, and there's something different with the Joy-Con
cheap Nintendo Switch game deals sales
Nintendo didn't anticipate that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was 'going to be the juggernaut' for the Nintendo Switch when it was ported to the console, according to former employees
Three angles of the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4 laptop above a desk
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review roundup – should you buy Apple's new lightweight laptop?
Witchbrook
Witchbrook, the life-sim I've been waiting years for, finally has a release window and it's sooner than you think
Amazon Echo Smart Speaker
Amazon is experimenting with renaming Echo speakers to Alexa speakers, and it's about time
Shigeru Miyamoto presents Nintendo Today app
Nintendo Today smartphone app is out now on iOS and Android devices – and here's what it does