article_snippet: Security experts have warned of the dangers associated with USB drives for some time, but until now, the biggest danger has been viruses and malware.
article_snippet: Now there is a new potential threat that turns the lowly thumb drive into a ‘laptop killer’ by using a high voltage to destroy the computer’s components.
article_snippet: Dubbed ‘USB Killer’, the crude device was created by a Russian electronics expert known as Dark Purple.
article_snippet: The malicious drive has been dubbed ‘USB Killer’ and The malicious drive uses a high voltage and current to ‘fry’ the laptop’s components.
article_snippet: In modern computers, the USB ‘physics’ is built in the processor [and] the task of the designed USB flash drive is to burn all of this stuff, or at least kill the USB port.
article_snippet: The user said: 'In modern computers, the USB ‘physics’ is built in the processor [and] the task of the designed USB flash drive is to burn all of this stuff, or at least kill the USB port’ (the custom circuit board is pictured)
article_snippet: The drive uses high voltage and high current to ‘fry’ the electronics inside the USB port.
article_snippet: In November a team of Berlin-based researchers reverse-engineered the files that control how a USB drive's software works.
article_snippet: The basic idea of the USB drive is quite simple,’ explained Dark Purple.
article_snippet: ‘When connected to the USB port, an inverting DC/DC converter runs and charges capacitors to -110V [and] when the voltage is reached, the DC/DC is switched off.
article_snippet: ’ Put more simply, the DC/DC uses high voltage and high current to ‘fry’ the electronics inside the port.
article_snippet: In November a team of Berlin-based researchers reverse-engineered the files that control how a USB drive's software works.
highlights_snippet: The malicious, custom-built drive has been dubbed ‘USB Killer’
  
highlights_snippet: The malicious, custom-built drive uses a high voltage and current to ‘fry’ the laptop's components .
  