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That is a great suggestion. I think Android just implemented a “snatch detection” system for phones. Although, I like the idea of not requiring additional hardware. I guess when I start running a drug empire I will have to pony up for the extra dongle.

BusKill was created for this, USB with a magnetic attachment to a keyring that can be configured to take action on disconnect.

Some HSMs I've used (payshields) have tamper sensors that can detect motion for this reason.

> The ADXL362 accelerometer in the PayShield 10K acts as a "Motion Sensor" detecting tilt movements. An alarm triggers an alert if the HSM is moved (for example, slid out of the rack)

That's a great idea. Authorizing any kind of physical change should be a default security measures.

Seems like an mems accelerometer would be all you need. Rotation isn't really a threat...

Rotation itself isn’t a threat, but if you want to directly estimate displacement to distinguish between earthquakes and someone stealing the machine, without relying on heuristics, actual inertial measurement would do the trick. And inertial measurement involves tracking the direction of acceleration, which involves tracking rotation.