USB Kill Sticks
Now for just $49.95 you can kill your computer with an electrical surge via the USB port.The device, called USB Kill 2.0, operates by being inserted into a USB port on the target machine.
It then quickly charges onboard capacitors via that same port and quickly discharges them, essentially similar to a "juice jacking" attack performed on a charging port in use on a phone or other device.
The Hong Kong company also sells a USB protection shield called Test Shield for a scant sixteen bucks which ostensibly allows testing of the USB Kill 2.0 product without destruction of the target machine.
Kind of a technological hara kiri / seppuku when those compromising moments have arrived and there's no place to run or hide.
There is a model of machine presently invulnerable to the device. It seems that late models of the Apple MacBook have optically isolated portage data lines.
So then ... you either keep these particular devices away from your machine or risk it becoming toast by and large.
I have read threads expressing skepticim regarding the completeness of the kill procedure but really, do we want to take a chance?
I suppose that if you're a whistle blower or individual in a tight spot it may even be worth it to fry your machine quickly and easily to prevent sensitive data from acquisition by law enforcement or cyber (or other) criminals.
I would certainly think a suitable DR plan would be indicated up front in any standard operational procedural scenario involving the total distruction of mission critical machines. I'd have backup sets scattered all over the place myself.
Pitiful rationale as well from the standpoint of waste. Self destructs are not really ports in a storm.
