ORWL — An Open-Source, Physically Secure Computer

There are many ways to steal data, some more effective than others. If you have physical access to a computer, as the Design SHIFT team puts it, “It’s game over.” Currently live on Crowd Supply, ORWL is open source, physically secure computer that aims to protect your data by encrypting it on an SSD which can only be accessed if you have the proper key fob in range of it.

If someone does try to tamper with the device, it has an internal measurement unit, a temperature sensor, and an input power voltage monitor to detect anything out of the ordinary. It also has a mesh surrounding the motherboard, which can detect if someone tries to physically access the unit. If tampering is detected, it “immediately and irrevocably erases all of your data, even if it is unplugged at the time.”

Some of its specs include:

Processor: Intel Skylake M3 (without vPro) or M7 (with vPro) Graphics: Integrated Intel 515 chipset supports 4K output Ports: 2X USB 3.0 Type C, 1X micro HDMI Power: External power adapter connects to either USB 3.0 port Memory: 8GB Storage: 120GB or 480GB SSD with automatic AES 256-bit encryption Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac Operating Systems: Ubuntu and other GNU/Linux systems, Windows 10 Secure Microcontroller: MAX32550 DeepCover Secure Cortex-M3 with projected 6 month unplugged battery life Authentication: NFC + BLE key fob and user password

As foolproof as it sounds, it’s nearly impossible to make something impenetrable. If this crowdfunding effort is successful, perhaps it will mean a new challenge for hackers everywhere!