‘Mission: Impossible’ IRL? Device self-destructs at push of a button

By Dean Murray

A "Mission: Impossible"-style data storage device self-destructs at the push of a button.

The newly-launched tech is able to delete all files contained on it, even when power is lost.

It works in a similar fashion to the "Mission: Impossible" film series, where secret agent Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, listens to recorded instructions that end with "This message will self-destruct in five seconds."

In the movies, the message is followed by a dramatic countdown and the playback device then destroys itself in a small burst of smoke or flames to preserve secrecy.

Taiwanese firm Team Group says their P250Q SSD has a hardware destruction process that takes about 10 seconds, after which the stored data is totally unrecoverable.

As well as a software wipe option, an irreversible physical hardware destruction mode sends a powerful surge of electricity directly to the SSD’s NAND flash memory chips.

The resulting electrical "blast" rapidly fries the memory cells, physically damaging the chips so that data cannot be recovered, even with advanced forensic tools.

Designed with real-world deployment in mind, the P250Q combines dual-mode software-hardware destruction, a one-click activation button, and multi-stage LED indicators that display real-time progress.

Available in storage sizes up to 2TB, the company says the product is engineered to meet the stringent security and stability requirements of military, industrial automation, and AI applications, and sets a new benchmark for data protection.

Team Group said: "Moving forward, Team Group will continue to place innovation at the core of its values, delivering safer and more intelligent storage solutions tailored for global industrial and military-grade applications."