USB Kill 2.0: Is It The Next Big Hack Tool?

A new type of USB stick has been developed that allows the user to destroy whichever device it is plugged into, instantly eliminating the possibilities of extraction and leaks of information. The devices it can penetrate through range from PCs, televisions, laptops and most other electronic devices which have a USB hub.

Ideally made as a tool for hackers, the Hong Kong based company which developed this deadly USB has configured it such that takes in electrical charges from the USB power supply and then discharges the same in a matter of moments, according to a report made by ZDNet.

The concept of a killer USB had first arrived last year by a Russian researcher known as Dark Purple, to destroy sensitive components of a computer when the USB drive is plugged in. Now that the concept has now materialized, the device has been named USB Kill 2.0. If the USB is plugged into a computer which isn't authorized for use, it will instantly fry the system, according to The Hacker News.

The company that developed the USB stick maintains, however, that they planned on developing the device in order to let companies test their laptops and PCs against power surge attacks and "Juice Jacking" attacks.

The USB drive is highly effective with up to 95 percent of devices using a USB port. The manufacturer also claims that they had made such a device in order to provide some awareness of the dangers of power surges in devices and that tech companies should make consumer-level hardware more robust to prevent such attacks. According to the company, the Apple MacBook is the only device which isn't vulnerable to USB Kill 2.0

The USB stick also comes packaged with a Test Shield, designed to allow the testing of the USB on devices without actually destroying the host machine, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Stay tuned to SWR for more updates and latest news on USB Kill 2.0.