No, 5G won’t give you coronavirus. But that isn’t stopping scammers from trying to exploit misguided fears about the technology.
Case in point: A UK vendor has been selling a $350 USB stick that promises it can protect you from 5G radiation. But it turns out the product is just a $6 generic USB drive, according to a cybersecurity firm.
The makers of the “5GBioShield” claim their USB stick can block electrical waves through a “proprietary holographic nano-layer catalyst” technology. It purportedly does this by “balancing” all the existing radiations around you to create a protective bubble 8 meters in diameter, even when the USB drive is unplugged.
The website for the product goes on to make dubious references to “quantum oscillation,” “life force frequencies,” and “cardiac coherence” in an attempt to convince consumers the science behind the 5GBioShield is legit. But you’ll be pretty disappointed if you actually buy the product, according to Pen Test Partners.
(Credit: PenTest Partners)
The company ordered the 5GBioShield, and found it's just a cheap unbranded USB stick. Sure, the product does have a cool crystal handle. However, PenTest Partners discovered you can buy identical-looking USB drives on the internet in bulk.
A teardown of the USB stick also revealed no holographic nano-layer catalyst technology. “First, we managed to pull the device off the crystal, which showed nothing other than an LED at the end of the stick, the same as the other ‘crystal’ USB keys we found made in (the Chinese city of) Shenzen. There were no additional components or any connections,” wrote company penetrator tester Phil Eveleigh in the report.
(Credit: PenTest Partners)
The company also wondered if the nano-layer catalyst technology might be behind a circular icon on the USB drive. However, Eveleigh said the icon turned out to be a sticker.
Making the $350 device even more underwhelming is how the USB stick contains a mere 128MB in storage. The only data on the stick is a 25-page PDF containing material already available on the 5GBioShield website.
“In our opinion the 5G BioShield is nothing more than a £5 USB key with a sticker on it. Whether or not the sticker provides £300 pounds worth of quantum holographic catalyzer technology we’ll leave you to decide,” Eveleigh added.
The makers of 5GBioShield didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But according to the BBC, local regulators in the UK are trying to obtain a court order to pull down the product’s website.
Further Reading
- New Android Flaw Can Help Malware Impersonate Apps and Take Your Data
- Hong Kong Internet Users Flock to VPNs as China Prepares New Security Law
- Google Assistant Can Now Use Your Voice to Verify Purchases
- Hacking Group Hits Gaming Companies in Asia Behind MMO Titles
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