Don’t Plug in that strange flash drive!

Worse than containing Malware it may be wired to destroy your device

We’ve warned about plugging in USB flash drives, from unknown sources, to your devices in before. This is because of the Malware they may contain. But there are also USB drives out there that are internally wired to capture and store the electricity from your USB port. Several seconds later, they release all the power they have stored, back through the USB port, and fry your computer just like a lighting strike!

These devices aren’t new; you can find instructions to build them on web. However, now a Hong Kong based company is selling them online for $56.05. Not surprisingly, they also sell a ‘tester’ for $15.72 that sits between your device and the USB flash drive allowing you to plug devices in without worry. Some business model!

So, don’t plug in ANY unknown USB flash drive into your devices. This includes those that may be delivered to you through a seemingly secure channel like the mail

A quick Google search shows there is more than one version availible.

http://www.google.com/search?q=killer+usb&ie=&oe=

What they may look like:

This image shows just how easy it is to hide the deadly components inside a plastic housing.