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Although initially these devices are used to transfer information, they can also contain malware
Since 2010, a trend has taken over the streets of the world when the self-styled “multimedia artist” Aram Bartholl created USB Dead Drops, ports installed all over the world and to which anyone could have free access to various information without having to access a Internet.
According to Bartholl himself, the Dead Drops are a file-sharing network via USB ports distributed throughout the world and embedded in the walls of buildings, so that they can be made available to everyone.
The closest definition would be a “digital public library”, since it is only necessary to connect a laptop or portable device to the wall, see what files are interesting and copy them to the devices. If desired, files can also be left.
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Although more than 10 years have passed since the creation of the trend, this does not mean that fewer people decide to join. On the web page where the record of each “Dead Drop” is kept, the last one added was left on a street in Spain on June 22, 2023. The process of installing a port on a wall is not random and in actually has a set set of rules.
How to make a USB Dead Drop
According to what is established on the official website "deaddrops.com", those who wish to create one in their city or throughout their country, must buy one (or several) USB devices of the capacity they want, remove its plastic covering and wrap exposed electronics with tape. Inside the device you will only have to find a text file (.txt) in which the project is explained. The information is also on the web.
Finally, the port should be located in a hole made in a wall and sealed with cement or quick-drying paste so that only the connection is exposed. It is important to consider locating it at a height where they can be accessed by connecting it directly to a computer without the need for an additional cable.
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When the port has been established, users will have to register them by means of 3 photos of the location, the street it is on, coordinates (longitude and latitude), in which country, in addition to the storage capacity of the USB. All data must be entered on the website to be classified as safe and as part of the digital project.
In the case of Latin American countries, for example, USB Dead Drops has still had a poor reception, but posts have been registered in different countries. Mexico (36), Brazil (18), Argentina (13), Chile (10), Ecuador (6), Colombia (4), Peru (1), are some of the countries that have participated in some way in the distribution of information using this method.
Distribution of contributions to the USB Dead Drop project worldwide. (Capture)
Distribution of contributions to the USB Dead Drop project worldwide. (Screenshot)
While its possible that many of these USB devices could contain information that other people want to share with the world, theres also the possibility that at least one of the computers that was ever connected to this network has been infected with a virus, because once it has been embedded in the wall, the creator of the point has no control over what other people can spread on it.
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Therefore, it is preferable that people who are going to connect to one of these points, either to leave or to extract files, have an antivirus program on their computer efficient. |
