Hackers are ruthless. They can take control of your computer, delete files and disappear without a trace. However, FIU cybersecurity researcher Weidong Zhu has discovered a way to transform a computer’s storage chip into an additional tool for cyber defense. Working with collaborators at the University of Florida, Zhu created a system that makes data on these chips last longer—extending the lifespan of your files in the critical window after your computer is compromised. The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the 2025 ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security.

“Our system extends recoverable data history up to 126 days,” said Zhu, an assistant professor at FIU’s Knight Foundation School of Computing & Information Sciences whose work is part of the Center for Integrated Security, Privacy, and Trustworthy AI (CIERTA). “Even if your computer is infected, your data can survive on your drive.”

Storage chips, known as solid-state drives (SSDs), have intrigued cybersecurity researchers for years. As hardware—not software—they offer unique safety benefits during an attack.