Press a button and this SSD will self-destruct with all your data

TeamGroup has announced a new portable SSD drive called the T-Create Expert P35S that could give you some peace of mind if you’re worried about your data falling into the wrong hands. Instead of using encryption to lock everything behind a password or biometric security, the P35S has a single button that initiates a self-destruct. There’s no visible smoke or explosions like in a Mission Impossible movie, but the company says its “patented one-click data destruction circuit” uses “chip destruction” mechanisms to “achieve a truly irreversible data wipe.”

The company hasn’t announced pricing details or when the P35S will be available for purchase, but it will be offered in four different capacities from 256GB up to 2TB. Including an easy-access button on the outside that starts the self-destruction process and turns the entire drive into e-waste feels risky, but there are safeguards that prevent the drive from accidentally getting blanked while it’s bouncing around in your pocket.

The P35S needs to be connected to a computer with a USB-C cable, and that button functions as a two-stage sliding switch. Sliding it to the first stage, partially revealing a red warning sign, requires a bit of force. While pushing it to the second stage, which starts the self-destruction, requires even more force.

Once the self-destruction is started it will continue until the drive is blanked and dead, even if it’s disconnected from a computer. The process ensures there’s “zero data residue” to “prevent any form of recovery,” according to TeamGroup. That’s why the company warns the P35S is “not intended for general consumers, personal data backup, or everyday storage purposes” and is instead targeted at users who handle and transport confidential or classified data.

In addition to its self-nuking capabilities, the P35S features a single USB-C port 3.2 Gen 2 port with up to 1,000MB/s read and write speeds. The entire drive is just over 3.5-inches long and weighs 42 grams.