So, essentially a Specific Serial Buss? We'd be going back to pre-USB times, exc...

taeric · on July 31, 2014

Yes, except I'm saying to do it by software. Make sense? The port could take in anything. But there is no reason for it to expect anything. It should really only expect things I have indicated for it to expect.

click170 · on July 31, 2014

I like this idea. It doesn't even have to be turned on by default, it could be an opt-in kernel module that doesn't load until you ask for it.

smacktoward · on July 31, 2014

Wouldn't that just end up working like this?

1) User finds USB stick in parking lot

2) User takes USB stick back to desk and plugs it into workstation

3) Workstation throws up a dialog saying "Hey! I don't recognize that thing you just plugged in! Are you sure you want to let it connect?"

4) User blindly clicks "OK" on dialog without reading it while surfing porn in another window

taeric · on July 31, 2014

The UI should instead say "The device plugged in is not a storage token" or some such. Even better if it lists what the device is claiming to be.

And, really, if we are concerned with people blindly clicking "OK", I'm not sure of what you can do.