A Hong Kong-based company has developed a USB gadget that that can destroy almost anything it’s plugged into. From laptops, televisions, fax machines—this flash drive of death can destroy them.
They call it the USB Kill stick. It doesn’t use viruses, it destroys hardware by electrical means. Once the USB stick is plugged in, it rapidly charges the capacitors from the USB power supply, and discharges in just seconds. This can “instantly and permanently disable unprotected software”, according to the makers in a press release.
Source: Wonder How To
But what is this device for? According to the makers, this device can help hardware developers test the effects of such attacks on their devices. “Any public facing USB port should be considered an attack vector. In data security, these ports are often locked down to prevent exfiltration of data, or infiltration of malware, but are very often unprotected against electrical attack.”
This USB gadget costs around $56, and an additional Test Shield, which will allow the users to test for an attack without destroying or blowing up their hardware, costs around $16.
