USB Kill Devices - Thoughts?

[BinaryData]

So, I've been seeing this across a lot of forums, and my work sent out an email about using software like this, on company computers.  Granted, I don't know what you'd be doing that would warrant such drastic measures.

 

I'm curious to see peoples opinions on this. I'm not posting the source simply because I don't think the mods would like it.

[sc302 Veteran]

All it does is shut down the computer by pulling out the usb stick.  So drastic.....

https://github.com/hephaest0s/usbkill

[BinaryData]

All it does is shut down the computer by pulling out the usb stick.  So drastic.....

https://github.com/hephaest0s/usbkill

There's another one I was talking more about.

[fusi0n]

There's another one I was talking more about.

There is one that will wipe all your data. 

[sc302 Veteran]

are you talking about this?

http://thehackernews.com/2015/05/usbkill-secret-data.html

 

this is the same thing that I linked to.  If your drive is encrypted, yeah they will have problems accessing the drive.  It would be no different than shutting down your computer...it doesn't destroy or do anything harmful to your computer to the point of you not being able to access your data if you pull out the usb (provided you have the passkey to access your computers encrypted drive.).  Tinfoil hat much?

 

Here is the headline in the article which makes it sound like it destroys all of your data before they can get to it:

 

USBKill

[Intersect]

All it does is shut down the computer by pulling out the usb stick.  So drastic.....

https://github.com/hephaest0s/usbkill

yeah its not going to stop forensics from recovering your tracks.

 if your going to use a computer for activities that could land you in trouble then you had better stop using windows altogether and stick with a live linux distro that you have hand coded your self

so you know there are no exploits that can be used to trace you.

[sc302 Veteran]

If this http://thehackernews.com/2015/03/killer-usb-explode-computer.html then sure that would be something to be worried about. 

 

something a bit less dangerous: http://www.ironkey.com/en-US/

 

don't forget your password or let it into the wrong hands...data will be toast and drive unusable (if you enable the self destruct).

[dragon2611]

So not this kind of USB kill then? 

 

http://kukuruku.co/hub/diy/usb-killer

[sc302 Veteran]

But the op said software, which is why I went the software route initially.

[BinaryData]

So not this kind of USB kill then? 

 

http://kukuruku.co/hub/diy/usb-killer

 

I was originally thinking about this one, and supplemented the name for "USB Kill", thinking in the wrong direction.

But the op said software, which is why I went the software route initially.

 

Yeah, I was thinking software only, but a friend quickly reminded me of the "USB Killer" that was developed by a Russian(Eastern European) kid. Looks like I jumbled them up again.

Now the question is, can you make something like the "USB Kill", but have it inject a program to load the hard drive with nothing but 0s and 1s.

[sc302 Veteran]

sure but it will take time to do....not something that is going to happen as quick as pulling out a usb stick.  Thorough wipe will take a few hours on a 500gb + drive.  Single pass will take 5-10 minutes, providing that the infiltrator will not see the boot up process and kill that, even with a single pass it is possible to get some data back.

[Intersect]

So not this kind of USB kill then? 

 

http://kukuruku.co/hub/diy/usb-killer

great, now how long will it be before some idiot decided to buy a bunch of these and destroy an entire schools network or worse

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Drama kills forums.

[BinaryData]

Drama kills forums.

 

What drama? Find it. Exterminate it.

I'm not sure a drive wipe boot would work on Windows, though I'm not programming expert, it could probably be done. Though, I'm sure this could be done. Now I'm incredibly curious, not sure that's a good thing. Haha.

 

Everyones responses have been great. sc302 likes to stalk me