I really don't think that permabrick after N incorrect attempts should ever have been considered as a sane feature. That allows denial of service extremely easily.
What needs security just enough that it can't just be unencrypted, but also can't afford real security (like long passwords or public keys)?
TFA does not suggest the head is bricked, the internal counter just stops updating. TFA does not even specify what the handle does in that situation. Supposedly it just keeps working with no issues.
What needs security just enough that it can't just be unencrypted, but also can't afford real security (like long passwords or public keys)?
Does this have any use aside from DRM products?