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Can TSA machines affect data on a SSD?

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comtech5
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Can TSA machines affect data on a SSD?

I went through a TSA security checkpoint the other day and when I got to my hotel my Thunderbird account data was either corrupt or missing from my SuperTalent USB SSD drive. Other apps were unaffected. Is this possible?

John T. Haller
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Out of Sight?

Was the drive out of your sight at all when you went through security? If the answer is yes... as a USB device, anyone can plug it into their machine and alter the data unless it's stored on an encrypted software container inside a la TrueCrypt (though you'll need admin rights to access it) or you use a hardware encrypted drive like the PortableApps.com Carbide.

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comtech5
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Hardware encrypted.

Hardware encrypted. SuperTalent SuperCrypt USB drive. The app sends me straight to the account creation wizard, as if none exists.

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John T. Haller
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Manufacturer

Ah, ok. In that case, I'd recommend contacting the manufacturer as I'm unsure how their specific mechanism works. If the drive was out of your sight, it's possible the TSA wiped it by accident while trying to access the data on it.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

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