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Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

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Re: Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

#111

Post by pard68 »

tjohns wrote: post #84
Dylan16807 wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious how the damage breaks down, because it sounds like a lot of that damage might have been him destroying just a motherboard and then the entire computer being written off.

Corporate/university IT shops don't normally do component-level replacement. Both due to time constraints and the nature of their support contacts. (Assuming the Dell/HP/etc. workstations they bought even take standard size motherboards. I've seen some that don't.)

Our Helpdesk does full on replacement work. I have seen them swap out mobos even CPUs. We are our own service contractor with Dell, HP, and Apple.

Re: Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

#112

Post by jfk13 »

tluyben2 wrote: post #101
bdowling wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ll add that deterrence breaks down into two different prongs: (1) deterring this particular guy from doing the same thing again and (2) deterring others from copying what this guy did. It might seem unfair to punish this guy harshly when a lesser punishment would deter him from ever trying the same thing again, but that is ignoring prong (2), the value of punishing him as a warning to others.

The deterrence is probably mostly for the group in (2) but because that group already knows what the punishment is because of the deterrence in said region, but find themselves (by whatever peer pressure, stupidity, drugs&alcohol) find themselves in this position, they may find the deterrent a guideline to add on more crimes because it does not matter. In this case, if he knew about the punishment, he probably would…

> if he just is flagged and cannot leave the country and has to pay 100k in fines, he might be a good citizen and pay taxes in the US the rest of his life

Yes, he might; or he might go through life wantonly destroying other people's property whenever he feels he has a grievance, as there don't seem to be any serious consequences for doing so.

It's a hard question, and individuals vary so much (circumstances, motivations, character, ...) that generalised answers will often be wrong. But a justice system needs rules and standards of some kind.

Re: Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

#113

Post by hutzlibu »

aSockPuppeteer wrote: post #65
stadeschuldt wrote: post #5

I am looking at https://usbkill.com/ . What is the purpose of the device? The manufacturer calls it an "ESD tester" yet there is an "anonymous" version available: https://usbkill.com/products/usb-killer-v3?variant=447760856...

It may be designed for a cut and run approach. For example, about to crash in enemy territory, brick all the computers.

Only when supposed to do it stealthily. Otherwise there are faster military options, to destroy computers.

Re: Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

#114

Post by nostrademons »

jrockway wrote: post #69
acchow wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"-200VDC is discharged over the data lines of the host device. This charge/discharge cycle is repeated many times per second, until the USB Killer is removed" Is there any device that is supposed to survive this? In other news, throwing your computer in a fire also reveals a serious vulnerability.

Ethernet will probably do fine. The differential pair ends in a transformer, so unless you pump so much current in that it physically melts the transformer or wire, you'll be fine. USB should be similar, but apparently is not. (In the case of the USB killer, the amount of time where 200V is applied to the circuit is probably very tiny. I imagine it's just a charge pump that charges a tiny capacitor and discharges it.…

In college I stripped one end of an Ethernet cord and plugged it into household current. The other end I had hooked up to an old laptop I no longer wanted. The wire exploded, and the motherboard was fried. YMMV. Laptop was an old Sony Vaio c. 2001 vintage if it makes a difference.

(On the plus side, this made up for sleeping through that physics class where my professor did the exploding wires demo.)

Re: Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

#115

Post by thanksDr »

malignantCancer wrote: post #107
tluyben2 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When we (Dutch) ask in school why our sentences are so low, it is explained that if the punishment does not fit the crime, you will be incentivized to add more crime because you are already facing prison time, so why would you care about a few years more or less. Aka if the crime for rape is almost the same as murder you might as well kill the victim to have less chance of being caught. We have not a lot of crime and…

[flagged]

Holy shit!

Thank you for writing this.

The real question is: Why is the school system + culture producing such a bumper crop of sociopaths?

Is the belief that erasing problem people is a real solution to systemic and structural violence the root of the problem?

Re: Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

#116

Post by tluyben2 »

jfk13 wrote: post #112
tluyben2 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The deterrence is probably mostly for the group in (2) but because that group already knows what the punishment is because of the deterrence in said region, but find themselves (by whatever peer pressure, stupidity, drugs&alcohol) find themselves in this position, they may find the deterrent a guideline to add on more crimes because it does not matter. In this case, if he knew about the punishment, he probably would…

> if he just is flagged and cannot leave the country and has to pay 100k in fines, he might be a good citizen and pay taxes in the US the rest of his life Yes, he might; or he might go through life wantonly destroying other people's property whenever he feels he has a grievance, as there don't seem to be any serious consequences for doing so. It's a hard question, and individuals vary so much (circumstances, motivati…

> But a justice system needs rules and standards of some kind.

Sure, but having to get a job (he has an MBA so he was planning to) and having the tax office take 70% of his wages until paid off (or allow him to pay off faster if he can) is not a light punishment while it does bring back some productivity. Jail time or over the top crazy punishments doesn't seem to help either and only costs society money. And then more money because the individual will most likely never recover after having spent some of his most productive years behind bars.

The sore point here is ofcourse that he is on a student Visa in which case I think the punishment of giving him a criminal record and sending him back to India is harsh punishment in itself.

Re: Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

#117

Post by TeMPOraL »

anonlastname wrote: post #16
stadeschuldt wrote: post #5

I am looking at https://usbkill.com/ . What is the purpose of the device? The manufacturer calls it an "ESD tester" yet there is an "anonymous" version available: https://usbkill.com/products/usb-killer-v3?variant=447760856...

I could see it being useful for when you want an easy way to get a high voltage spike out of a 5v power supply. For example, if you wanted to build a board for igniting the gas in a potato gun that ran off of a USB power bank.

Speaking of power banks, what would happen if you plugged this device directly to one?

Re: Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

#118

Post by lloeki »

squarefoot wrote: post #14
theandrewbailey wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never heard of TV-B-Gone. > During the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, an individual associated with Gizmodo brought a TV-B-Gone remote control and shut off many display monitors at booths and during demos affecting several companies. These actions caused the individual to be banned for life from future CES events. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV-B-Gone

The innocuous use of TV-B-Gone devices was to shut off at once all TV sets at malls; it was rather a prank than a destructive act, with the added benefit of getting some peace.

Back in the day you could turn a HP-48 into a universal remote control. Oh, the pranks we pulled on an unsuspecting teacher (the teacher was the worst kind ever of know-it-all prick, and duly deserved it).

Re: Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

#119

Post by tluyben2 »

malignantCancer wrote: post #107
tluyben2 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When we (Dutch) ask in school why our sentences are so low, it is explained that if the punishment does not fit the crime, you will be incentivized to add more crime because you are already facing prison time, so why would you care about a few years more or less. Aka if the crime for rape is almost the same as murder you might as well kill the victim to have less chance of being caught. We have not a lot of crime and…

[flagged]

> They don't care about punishment.

So what's the point then? Apparently the way it works now is not working and yes, that sounds awful, but what is being done about it if harsher punishment does not work? Even harsher punishment is what I am hearing 'on the other side of the pond'. When I had a restaurant in my village I got Americans all the time crying about what a pussy Obama was being soft on crime; most we got in were for the dead penalty and long prison time for even small infractions, against drugs wholesale (but not alcohol, one of the most dangerous and addictive drugs ofcourse!). Apparently they felt your pain as well, but the resolution seems akward; you would think better educatoin/rehabilitation instead of harsher punishment would be a more productive way of trying?

Ofcourse the issue is very difficult ; there are just really bad people out there and I do not think anyone has a solution for those. I am sorry to hear you seem to have 'many of them'; yet again, that makes me think there is something wrong that can be fixed if this is not the same in other places (other side of the pond...).

Re: Former student destroys 59 university computers using USB Killer device

#120

Post by lotsofpulp »

tluyben2 wrote: post #116
jfk13 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if he just is flagged and cannot leave the country and has to pay 100k in fines, he might be a good citizen and pay taxes in the US the rest of his life Yes, he might; or he might go through life wantonly destroying other people's property whenever he feels he has a grievance, as there don't seem to be any serious consequences for doing so. It's a hard question, and individuals vary so much (circumstances, motivati…

> But a justice system needs rules and standards of some kind. Sure, but having to get a job (he has an MBA so he was planning to) and having the tax office take 70% of his wages until paid off (or allow him to pay off faster if he can) is not a light punishment while it does bring back some productivity. Jail time or over the top crazy punishments doesn't seem to help either and only costs society money. And then mo…

Most foreigners who can afford to come to the US for a post graduate education come from a relatively comfortable situation at home.
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