"Hardware designers of public machines should have a USB Kill to test their products: photo booths, copy machines, airline entertainment systems, ticket terminals, etc - anything with exposed USB ports should ensure that their systems resist electrical attacks."
Seems like a form of hardware pentesting to me, so for security experts and hardware designers, this looks like a pretty useful tool. :)
I am going to research for lockable USB dongles you can insert and remove only with a key.
I imagine that the USB PHY of a well designed system exposed to this attack will not survive, but the entire system won't be so easily nerfed either.
This isn't the case of a gate that fails open. This is the case of a gate that gets hit by a rocket launcher, which blows the gate open and destroys the datacenter behind it.
Hardware designers of public machines…
…with exposed USB ports should ensure that their systems resist electrical attacks.
Quote from the front page: "If you use a charger or USB port that is not your own - the device can steal your data while you are charging. Using a USB Kill Shield will prevent devices from having access to your data."
What's next. A taser with an HDMI connector?
Something like this (or even a USB to Lightning charger cable):
https://www.amazon.com/HIOTECH®-Adapter-Lightning-Female-iPh...
Would this destroy the Lightning controller in the adapter/cable, or would it work to destroy the iPhone?