We are living in a complicated era for information security, with countless attacks, data leaks, compromised systems, and high-risk bugs. Everyone is convinced that perfect security doesn't exist, but some developments come close, and one of them is the new chip from Xerox PARC. By using specially tempered glass, all it takes is a small heat source to turn it into dust, beyond any recovery technique.
A chip that destroys itself
There is no doubt anymore that the Internet has become a battlefield. While I write these lines, someone is trying to access a system and steal its content, or simply bring it down to allow an even deeper attack. Information security is more relative than ever, and experts from all sides learn a new trick every day that sooner or later will let them breach their rivals. In some cases, the information to protect is so delicate that a double solution is preferable, that is, combining hardware with software. On the other side are those who think that is a mistake, since stealing the physical key could compromise all data almost effortlessly. The difference is that the key we are about to examine can self-destruct within seconds, and remotely if necessary.
How the self-destruct mechanism works
The work is being carried out by Xerox PARC and was presented at the "Wait, What?" conference organized by our friends at DARPA. Basically, the chip uses glass as a substrate, a special variant of the famous Corning Gorilla Glass seen on major mobile devices. The glass is tempered via ion exchange, and when it reaches its maximum stress point, it shatters into thousands of pieces that continue fragmenting for several seconds after the initial break. In other words, the glass chip only needs the right stimulus to become dust, and render any data or key stored on it unusable. Demonstrations by Xerox PARC showcased some of the alternatives that can be used as a "switch" to destroy the glass, including a small resistor with an electric charge running through it, and a photodiode illuminated with a laser pointer.
Some of the possibilities to destroy the chip include:
- Radio signals
- A phone call
- The simple act of trying to extract or duplicate information with an unauthorized device
The truth is that we cannot begin to enumerate its potential applications. Needless to say, Xerox PARC has the military in mind as the primary client for this technology; however, imagine something similar applied to hard drives, smartphones, or credit cards. Physical neutralization of an electronic platform is a last resort, but there are already companies working on that idea, and we cannot deny its effectiveness.
