Computer

USB Killer, why does it exist if it can destroy my computer?

Who more and who less has several USB memories at home and many others that you will have lost. Currently, in any large store you can find them with a large capacity for less than 20 euros. Although they are an outdated and inefficient solution, due to their low cost and small dimensions, they are still popular.

Maybe you think that creating something that can destroy a computer in the shape of something so popular is a mistake. The truth is that the confusion is remote, since no self-respecting store will sell them to you like any other pen drive.

What is a USB Killer?

Basically, it’s a specialized electronic circuit which is encapsulated in a compact format, such as a pen drive. Its function is to “charge” and then release all the stored energy at once. This process takes a few seconds and can irreparably destroy any device that has an electronic circuit.

They have been designed in the shape of a pen drive, since they are not particularly complex circuits. Also, most devices on the market have one of these ports. More modern versions include adapters such as USB-C or Lightning (iPhone connector).

Although it may seem like it, your The objective is not to destroy anything, it is to verify the safety of the circuits. It is a product designed so that hardware developers can test their products. Come on, that the protections installed function and protect the integrity of the system.

Internally, the USB and other connectors include a type of fuse. When excess current appears, it “breaks” and prevents the rest of the circuit from being damaged. Replacing a USB port is relatively simple, but otherwise the entire circuit would have to be changed.

usb killer devices

very simple inside

Do not believe that they carry NASA electronics or technology, rather, it is something very mundane. They are based on capacitors, which can store energy and release it suddenly. These are present in all electronic circuits, although with different characteristics and uses.

If you’ve ever opened up a power supply, you’ll see that it takes one or two rather large ones. Within electronics they have many uses, including eliminating noise from a voltage.

A USB Killer internally carries several of these ccondensers to store energy. The power is obtained from the USB port, which supplies a voltage of 5 volts. When the charge is finished, the opposite process is generated, a discharge of the voltage that returns to the USB port.

Normally these pen drives of death supply 110 volts suddenly, although there Models that exceed 200 volts. This means a voltage much higher than what the USB connector can withstand.

usb killer features

Samsung, IBM or Airbus, among others, use them

Maybe you think it’s a product created by some evil mind that wants to watch the world burn. The truth is that who They are manufactured by a fully regulated Hong Kong company. Although, like any device, it has been replicated over and over again.

To give you an idea USBKill collaborates with Airbus, CISCO, HP, IBM, Panasonic or Samsung. These companies purchase these USB Killers to verify the protections built into their systems. Even the Australian federal police use them.

Shouldn’t it be illegal?

Really, and if we get technical, it does nothing that cannot be achieved in other ways. They have simply developed a very compact and easy to use solution. He USB Killer v4you can even control from a smartphone to program a shock or generate shocks at specific voltages.

Imagine the following situation. A person walks into a large store and in the kitchen utensils section buys a large butcher knife. The knife has a very specific use, but the person uses it to harm another. Actually, the manufacturer is not responsible for the misuse of the product by the customer.

The same thing happens here. The company sells it to verify the safety of electronic circuits. That the client uses it to destroy computers, is the client’s responsibility or fault.

A student at a university in Albany, New York, United States wanted to be funny by connecting a USB Killer to 66 computers. Predictably, all of these ended up being scrap. Well, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, 12 months probation, and paying almost $60,000 for the destroyed equipment.

As you can see, if you buy and use it, you are fully responsible.

Related Articles