$99 PC Bricking Device ‘USB Killer’ hits Indigogo – Genius or Stupid?

A new crowdfunding campaign has hit Indiegogo, which is effectively someone charging you money for a product which is intended to damage your computer. USB Killer is a nasty bit of technology, you simply plug it into your USB port and the intention of the device is to load the port with volts to break the USB port, preventing people from accessing your device and stealing your files, but it’s not that simple, these things never are.

Bad USB is something we’ve covered before, USB Killer is little more than a rebranding of a PC killing bit of kit, that’s more likely to be used maliciously than as a preventative measure, which the creators are advertising it as. Check out the video below to see what a USB device like this can do. Please keep in mind that the video is a demonstration of a similar device and not of the device being listed on Indiegogo.

The idea is that USB Killer will destroy your USB ports, this prevents people from breaking in and stealing your data. However, I think it’s more marketed at people who do illegal activities and need a quick way to brick the PC to prevent people, the police for example, from checking their computer. As the disclaimer on the device reads, this could wreck your motherboard and brick the entire computer. In our opinion, that’s not a disclaimer, that’s exactly what will happen if you use this.

Whatever the intentions of the Russian creators of USB Killer, you can find out more about this $99 PC killing device, however dodgy the campaign may seem, on the Indiegogo page.

Of course, these promotional videos may help convince you that this is the right device for you…

Still not convinced that Killer USB is the right device to thwart mobsters stealing your data? What about a pesky family member? Again, I guarantee this is nonsense, it will kill the whole computer, not just the USB ports.

So, USB Killer, is it genius or stupid?