A USB Kill stick that is known by experts as USB Kill 2.0 can completely destroy a computer in a matter of seconds. Can the computer be fixed? The answer to this question is no.
A real spy might have created the USB stick, and it could be perfect for movie and television characters like Elliot from Mr. Robot, James Bond, and Jason Bourne.
According to a press release, an unnamed Russian computer researcher came up with the idea of the USB thumb drive in 2015 and was not able to launch it on his own.
Earlier this year, a company in Hong Kong called USB Kill, in collaboration with the Russian inventor, not only created the killer device with the same function but is mass producing it. For the small price of $74.50, anyone can get their hands on USB Kill 2.0 and use it as they please.
The company claimed that that the USB device can permanently destroy more than 95% of all devices using USB ports – the only exceptions are devices made by Apple. It has been confirmed that Apple added built-in protections to their laptops that can resist the powerful USB thumb drive.
USB Kill explained that there are no technical maneuvers involved, no coding, just plug in the USB Kill 2.0 into the device and that is it. More details on how the USB Kill works:
“The USB Kill 2.0 is a testing device created to test USB ports against power surge attacks. The USB Kill 2.0 tests your device’s resistance against this attack .The USB Kill collects power from the USB power lines (5V, 1 – 3A) until it reaches ~ -240V, upon which it discharges the stored voltage into the USB data lines.
This charge / discharge cycle is very rapid and happens multiple times per second.
The process of rapid discharging will continue while the device is plugged in, or the device can no longer discharge – that is, the circuit in the host machine is broken.”
So, why should you get the USB Kill 2.0? According to the company, anyone with cell phones, laptops, televisions, and other portable devices should get the invention to test them and be confident that their possessions are indestructible. The company said:
“In our tests, over 95% of devices are affected by a USB power surge attack.
Almost all consumer-level hardware fails when tested against the USB Kill.
The most frequent outcome is the complete destruction of the device.
Almost all consumer-level hardware fails when tested against the USB Kill.”
USBKill.com is asking companies that own photo booths, copy machines, entertainment systems along with airports to get the USB Kill stick to know if their products are impenetrable.
They are also advising professionals like hardware designers of public machines and security experts to purchase the USB Kill to test their products to ensure that their systems resist electrical attacks.
The company is telling customers to buy what they call the USB Protection Shield for about $15, which will allow them to use the USB Killer while protecting the host machine. The USB Killer is already sold out. A message on the website read:
“31/08/2016 TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK! New stock available soon: 14/09/2016.”
USBKill.com is insisting that the USB Killer was made to protect devices against malicious attacks, but a majority of people see this thing as a lawsuit waiting to happen because it will be used for evil. One person said:
“This tech should be banned and made punishable by law. We should start petitions.”
Another critic added:
“All the anarchists are rubbing their hands!”
A third person reacted to the invention and shared:
“It can’t possibly be used for anything but bad. Imagine all the fedora wearing anarchist script kiddies who will go to their nearest tech store and push this into every laptop they find. Good luck when they decide to file a lawsuit against you.”
USB Kill 2.0 will destroy the device’s motherboard and power supply, but the hard disk drive (HDD) will remain intact.