Global InformationUSBKill information
 | |
 A USBKill installation in Linux | |
| Developer(s) | Hephaest0s |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 1.0-rc4
/ January 18, 2016 |
| Repository |
|
| Written in | Python |
| Operating system | BSD, Linux, macOS, other Unix-like systems |
| Size | 15.6 KB |
| Type | Anti-forensic |
| License | GNU General Public License |
| Website | github |
USBKill is anti-forensic software distributed via GitHub, written in Python for the BSD, Linux, and OS X operating systems. It is designed to serve as a kill switch if the computer on which it is installed should fall under the control of individuals or entities against the desires of the owner.[1] It is free software, available under the GNU General Public License.[2]
The program's developer, who goes by the online name Hephaest0s, created it in response to the circumstances of the arrest of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, during which U.S. federal agents were able to get access to incriminating evidence on his laptop without needing his cooperation by copying data from its flash drive after distracting him.[3] It maintains a whitelist of devices allowed to connect to the computer's USB ports; if a device not on that whitelist connects, it can take actions ranging from merely returning to the lock screen to encrypting the hard drive, or wiping all data on the computer. However, it can also be used as part of a computer security regimen to prevent the surreptitious installation of malware or spyware or the clandestine duplication of files, according to its creator.[4]
- ^ Ducklin, Paul (May 8, 2015). "The USBKILL anti-forensics tool – it doesn't do *quite* what it says on the tin". Naked Security. Sophos. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
- ^ Hephaest0s (January 18, 2016). "usbkill.py". GitHub. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Bertrand, Natasha (May 29, 2015). "The FBI staged a lovers' fight to catch the kingpin of the web's biggest illegal drug marketplace". Business Insider. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
- ^ Hephaest0s (2016). "Hephaest0s/usbkill". GitHub. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)