The world’s most secure home computer

The makers of the ORWL PC state that not enough thought goes into making PCs secure, a problem which can lead to undetected tampering and data theft.
Their device, which has reached its $25,000 funding goal on Crowd Supply, aims to tackle this problem and give home users the world’s first physically-secure open source PC.
“The internals of a desktop or laptop computer are easily accessed and tapped for information. Computer peripherals can hide malicious eavesdropping devices or otherwise be corrupted to work against you,” said ORWL’s makers.
Their PC was designed to prevent undetected tampering with any of its electrical components.
“When tampering is detected, ORWL immediately and irrevocably erases all your data, even if it is unplugged at the time.”
The ORWL
The PC is the size of an ashtray, and features x86 architecture.
Its security features include multiple pressure-sensitive switches and a wire mesh which keep the body from being broken into.
ORWL’s SSD – an Intel 540s Series – is set to support AES-256 encryption. If any tampering is detected, the encryption key is erased and all data is lost.
The shell of the PC is available in glass or plastic.
The PC also sports a key fob that uses the same authentication technology as smartcards, and can detect proximity.
After the initial pairing of the key fob with the ORWL, the key fob’s NFC is used to authenticate the user.
Once a user goes out of range, ORWL will lock, requiring the key fob’s NFC authentication to unlock.
Specifications
- CPU: Intel Skylake M3 or M7
- Graphics: Integrated Intel 515 chipset (supports 4K output)
- Ports: 2x USB 3.0 Type C, Micro HDMI
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 120GB/480GB SSD
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- OS: Ubuntu, GNU/Linux systems, Windows 10
- Secure Microcontroller: MAX32550 DeepCover Secure Cortex-M3
- Dimensions: 130mm diameter x 30 mm height
- Weight: 400g
The entry-level model with a plastic cover is selling for $750 on Crowd Supply.
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