Former Student Admits to USB Killer AttackFormer Student Admits to USB Killer Attack

A former student at the College of St. Rose pleaded guilty this week to a February computer attack that destroyed $51,109 worth of computer and peripheral equipment and cost the New York college $7,362 in employee time spent in investigation and remediation. The attack vector was the USB port found in all of the computers, monitors, and computer-enhanced podiums hit in the attack.

Vishwanath Akuthota, a 27-year-old Indian national, shot video of himself during part of the campaign in which he used a USB killer — a USB stick that contains a capacitor that stores electricity then rapidly discharges it into a USB port, damaging or destroying the host computer.

Akuthota, a 2017 MBA graduate of the college, was arrested in February and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12.

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