I can't even imagine a situation where police would want to destroy a running device that could likely have evidence stored in volatile memory. Even if it was their own device that they were retiring, it doesn't even wipe data, it just destroys the logic/motherboard.
Hardware designers might want one to test out their mitigation circuit but once your design, why do you need a USBkill anymore?
This thing just seems like a destructive version of those annoyance toys like a TV-B-Gone.
> During the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, an individual associated with Gizmodo brought a TV-B-Gone remote control and shut off many display monitors at booths and during demos affecting several companies. These actions caused the individual to be banned for life from future CES events.
The innocuous use of TV-B-Gone devices was to shut off at once all TV sets at malls; it was rather a prank than a destructive act, with the added benefit of getting some peace.
Back in the day you could turn a HP-48 into a universal remote control. Oh, the pranks we pulled on an unsuspecting teacher (the teacher was the worst kind ever of know-it-all prick, and duly deserved it).
Not that I know of, but technically doable since all it needs is transmitting through infrared the corresponding signal variants according to different brands. By modifying the source one could for example set all TVs to maximum volume, or tune them to channel 666, or even give different commands to different brands as they share the same IR codes.
"I can't even imagine a situation where police would want to destroy a running device that could likely have evidence stored in volatile memory."
Exactly. That device has nothing to do with police or testing. The politically correct name is a way to avoid filters or to claim ignorance in case some customers do nasty thing with them. Not different from cellphone/gps jammers sold under the "signal/field generator" name.
"Even if it was their own device that they were retiring, it doesn't even wipe data, it just destroys the logic/motherboard."
And it's even very bad at it: most computers have internal usb hubs that would act as a (weak but sometimes successful) defense against these devices.
My business partner is a supplier to LEA / Government for intrusion / pentest / physical and electronic security.
He has sold over 600 units to legitimate government and police entities.
Likewise, the USBKill suppliers had shown confirmed clients from all large SV companies, and all major hardware manufacturers.
It definitely is a malicious device in the hands of someone malicious, no doubt... But it most definitely serves a purpose to government and LEA apparently ..
Hardware designers might want one to test out their mitigation circuit but once your design, why do you need a USBkill anymore?
This thing just seems like a destructive version of those annoyance toys like a TV-B-Gone.