That way nothing can be done without erasing the chip.
That way the app and settings are protected from being read, but the device could be very simple bricked using that chip-erase or recover operation (OK, it requires some know-how, but with that it’s easy.). For unattended devices that may be a weakness/downside.
My idea was more to “disable” the “probe” until it reads/sniffs a “pass phrase” on the serial. That way it offers protection and makes it much harder to “brick” the device. That would be something as “probe set <pass phrase>”,
“probe unlock <pass phrase>”, and “probe clear <pass phrase>”.
