this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2024
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You don't necessarily need to put it into the air supply, could just bathe the specific device you want disabled in helium from a deodorant can or something
Is helium used in deodorants these days?
Not that I know of, I meant it could be put in a pressurised spray bottle, for example a deodorant can
If you are close enough to spray a device you are close enough to just steal it. Or spray the owner.
If it's bolted to a wall and unattended neither of those things are an option
If y9ou are close enough to a system of importance that you can spray it, you are close enough to compromise it in countless other ways.
This is just one of many physical access attacks. Just like "you could take a hammer to it"
Like, I know people want to think this is some Ocean's Eleven heist waiting to happen. It isn't. This is only viable if you can drench an area with helium (which means you can already gas everyone you care about) or you have such close physical access that there are so many other things you could do. At best it is an episode of Burn Notice where Michael has to rapidly improvise an escape where his CIA handler of the week already refused to give him something much more useful.
Just because you can take a hammer to it doesn't mean that's the best solution
In the right situation I imagine it could be a useful tool, much more subtle than just smashing the thing, less time consuming than taking it apart