LOCKHEED MARTIN PUTS COMPUTER ON FLASH DRIVE: U.S. government workers and others may soon be able to trade their laptops for a secure flash drive sized for a key ring, Lockheed Martin, the world's biggest aerospace company, said Tuesday. Lockheed said its new "IronClad" brand USB drive would pack an entire operating system, software, settings and files onto a flash drive that could be used with virtually any computer in the world. The operating system runs directly off the flash drive. As a result, a user's files never touch the borrowed computer's hard drive and the device leaves no trace where it was plugged in, the company said. Each device is fully encrypted and designed to act as a "node" in an organization's computer network. Managers control their security policies, track their status and location and determine what may be installed on them. The drives are built to be tamper proof in a solid metal casing that protects against heat, cold, sand and water. Lockheed says it could remotely send a self-destruct command if the gizmo were ever lost or stolen. (Reuters, 01/19)