A student uses a USB Killer device to destroy dozens of computers at his university

Network USA

A former student at St. Rose College, a university in Albany, New York, pleaded guilty to the destruction of dozens of computers on campus using a device called USB Killer, created specifically to destroy this type of hardware.

According to a joint statement issued yesterday by the US Department of Justice (DJ), the Albany Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Vishwanath Akutota, the former student concerned, faces up to 10 years in prison and a US fine. $ 250,000.

Since last February 22, the young man is arrested in North Carolina, a week after the introduction of USB Killer on at least 66 computers in the university. The authorities estimated the damages at USD 58471.

USB Killer devices can be found easily on the Internet and have the ability to destroy a large number of computers by simply hooking USB Killer. The 27-year-old student made recordings for himself by inserting the malware into the act.

After obtaining an MBA in St. Rose in 2017, Vishwanath Akututa, an Indian citizen, obtained an American visa. A report in the local press revealed that the young man was an expert in computer systems and had plans to become an entrepreneur. In a statement by the Department of Justice, no further details were disclosed as to why the attack was carried out on campus computers.