Student used 'USB Killer' device to destroy $58, 000 worth of college computers

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18412427/college-saint-rose-student-guilty-usb-killer-destroyed-computers

By Chris Welch
The Verge
April 17, 2019

A former student of The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, has pled 
guilty to charges that he destroyed tens of thousands of dollars worth of 
campus computers using a USB device designed to instantly overwhelm and fry 
their circuitry. The plea was announced Tuesday by the Department of Justice, 
FBI, and Albany Police Department.

Vishwanath Akuthota, the former student, now faces up to 10 years in prison 
(with up to three years of supervision after release) and a fine totaling up to 
$250,000. He was arrested and taken into custody in North Carolina on February 
22nd, just over a week after he went on a spree of inserting the “USB Killer” 
device into 66 of Saint Rose’s computers around various locations on campus. 
Such devices can be easily and freely purchased online and can overload the 
surge protection in many PCs.

Akuthota, 27, apparently made video recordings of himself inserting the 
malicious USB device into the computers and said “I’m going to kill this guy” 
as the PCs were overloaded and permanently ruined. So it’s fair to say the FBI 
and APD had all the evidence they needed. In total, Akuthota caused $58,471 
worth of damage. As part of his guilty plea, he has agreed to pay back that 
amount to the college, a small private school in New York’s capital city. The 
Verge reached out to The College of Saint Rose for a statement on today’s news, 
but a spokesperson said the college had been asked by law enforcement to 
refrain from commenting.

[...]

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