A new external SSD will permanently wipe all of its data if you activate a self-destruct button.
Taiwan’s TeamGroup calls its product “the world’s first external SSD with built-in data destruction functionality [for] highly sensitive information” in the event it falls into the wrong hands.
Of course, a user could destroy an SSD by physically crushing it. But the TeamGroup version offers a more efficient way to permanently wipe the data. It will physically destroy the NAND flash memory through a patented process involving high voltage to create an electrical surge.
(Credit: TeamGroup)
On the downside, it appears that the external SSD will only complete the data wiping when it’s connected to a PC, allowing it to receive the electrical surge.
The company has decided to call the product the Expert P35S Destroyed External SSD, a rather ominous name. To avoid accidentally triggering a data wipe, it features a “two-stage safety push-button design” using a click-and-slide process.
“Combined with a red visual warning and a dual-damping structural mechanism, it effectively prevents accidental activation and ensures operational safety,” the memory vendor added.

(Credit: TeamGroup)
We got a first look at the SSD at Computex in May, and TeamGroup is now preparing to release it, though it hasn’t revealed a solid launch date or price. We reached out to TeamGroup and will update the story if we hear back. For now, the company’s website says the external SSD will be sold in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations.
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The product weighs about 1.5 ounces and offers USB 3.2 Gen 2 for transfer speeds of up to 1,000/1,000 MB/s.
TeamGroup offers an internal M.2 SSD for PC motherboards that features a similar “one-click” self-destruct mechanism. The P250Q Self-Destruct SSD is designed for defense and industrial customers who require an added layer of security. It also features a “high voltage breakdown technology to physically destroy NAND Flash, ensuring data is irrecoverable.”
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I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
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