A USB drive caused an explosion in Ecuador that injured a journalist.
March 23, 2023 By Omal J
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Image Credit: PCMag
You should not plug a random USB stick into your computer. It could contain harmful software or even explosives. But it is even worse than that. Someone has found a way to put bombs onto USB sticks, and it is very dangerous.
Some news organizations are reporting that USB sticks that have been rigged with explosives have been sent to journalists in Ecuador. Officials say that the USB drives are designed to explode when a person plugs them into a computer.
So far, the campaign has only resulted in one journalist being hurt. That journalist is Lenin Artieda, who works for a TV station in the city of Guayaquil. According to reports, he plugged in a drive that had been sent to him by the campaign, and it exploded. Lenin suffered “mild hand and face injuries”, but he was not seriously wounded by the blast.
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Some journalists who tried to plug in a USB drive filled with explosives did not have any luck. But it is not clear why. In the other cases, journalists either plugged in the drive incorrectly, or the explosive itself did not work. The source further states that RDX, a chemical compound frequently found in C-4 and other plastic explosives, was utilized to rig the USB sticks.
Some people are making bombs and sending them to some journalists. Ecuadorian officials say they don't know who is responsible, but they condemn any violence against journalists. The organization Fundamedios has also made a statement condemning the attacks. They want the government to investigate who is behind them.
Image Credit: BetaNews
USB drives can be dangerous because they can be a way for malware to spread. In some cases, famous incidents have started with someone finding a USB drive in a parking lot and plugging it into their work computer. However, there is a clear difference between damaging a hard drive and damaging a person. I hope the police catch whoever did this, and this reminder should help people stay safe when using USB drives.
By Omal J
I worked for both print and electronic media as a feature journalist. Writing, traveling, and DIY sum up her life.