Video of the day: how to build a computer destroying thumb drive from old camera parts

Electronic Product editors are fond of computer-frying USB sticks. We strategically hide them around the office in hopes of pranking “curious” colleagues willing to break compliance. I’m joking of course; we don’t advocate destroying other people’s property, but we do enjoy discussing the merits of good cybersecurity hygiene . Today, we’re highlighting a video by Thomas Kim that teaches viewers how to build a computer-destroying USB stick , rather than purchasing one online.

According to a video posted on YouTube by Thomas Kim, building a USB killer that gives off 300 volts of DC power requires little more than a disposable camera, AA battery, USB port, soldering gun, and a glue gun. Watching that same video below, we see that Thomas removed a disposable camera’s flash circuit and discharged the residual charge before extracting the essential components with a soldering gun (transistor, transformer, resistor, diode, and capacitor). After rearranging the components together and attaching the battery holder, Thomas glued everything down.

Thomas’ project resembles the USB Killer 2.0 , a similar device that we reported on back in September. But unlike Thomas’ device, the USB Killer 2.0 dishes out only 220 volts of electricity and costs $56, ultimately beginning the question: why not build your own? Hardware designers of devices with exposed USB ports may be particularly interested in using the device to test the internal electrostatic discharge protection.

Source: YouTube.com