A USB Killer device used to fry college computers, according to a report

A graduate of St. Rosa College in Albany, New York State, he returned to his alma mater in February 2019 and fry several computers and other materials designed for use by students and school staff. college with the help of a device called, "according to court documents first discovered by ZDNet.

The destroyed devices included 59 Windows computers, seven Apple computers and "many" computer screens and computer upgraded podiums in college, according to court documents.

The former student, who had earned his MBA in 2017, was apparently filmed destroying computers and equipment belonging to the university. In the videos, the graduate reportedly said "I'm going to kill this guy" while inserting the Killer USB device into a college computer. After the USB killer fried the material, the graduate would have said "it's dead … it's gone … boom".

It is not clear why the former student did this.

The damages amounted to $ 58,471, including $ 51,109 for damaged appliances and $ 7,362 "in employee time to investigate, repair and replace computer equipment".

USB Killers can easily be purchased online. A list of a USB Killer device with the "Amazon's Choice" badge indicates that the device is designed to "test the surge protection" on the devices. But later in the product description, the lister said: "In simple terms: used on unprotected equipment, the USB Killer instantly and permanently disables unprotected material."

The devices work by charging themselves, then quickly releasing that charge via a computer's USB port. The graduate would have repeated this quick charge-and-discharge "several times a second", resulting in fried internal computer parts.

Killer USB devices can be sold with adapters compatible with multiple devices, such as smartphones and tablets. Some ads for other USB Killers without the "Amazon's Choice" badge include warnings, such as "Do not use it for illegal activities".

USB Killer devices are not illegal and can be used for legal purposes. But it goes without saying that destroying computers and hardware that do not belong to you without the owner's permission is totally illegal.

The graduate, who is originally from India and is in the United States on a student visa, has pled guilty to several counts of indictment and faces a fine of $ 250,000 and a term of imprisonment. up to 10 years in prison.