[4544] in WWW Security List Archive
TEMPEST/Computer Radiation Detection
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Ammon)
Thu Feb 20 22:32:48 1997
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 18:20:34 -0600
To: www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
From: Ammon <ammon@ikx.org>
Errors-To: owner-www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
Since this has become such a hot topic here, I thought I would write some
information for everyone on it, since everyone seemed to have so many
questions. It also is covered fairly well in O'Reilly's _Computer Security
Basics_ book, ISBN 0-937175-71-4 ($29.95 US). With that in mind, here we go
*big breath*...
Every computer emits radiation. Some of the earlier computers emitted so
much radiation that you could put a TV next to it and pick up the monitor
picture on it. The government (U.S., and others) began to get worried about
being able to pick up this in about the 50's, and created the TEMPEST
program. It is now possible to purchase eq for electronic eavsdropping of
this sort for about $300 or so, and radiation has been picked up over 100
yards from the source (that's something anyone should worry about).
Standards for TEMPEST procucts (that which shield radiation) are NAG1A,
FS222, FS222A, NACSEM 5100, and NACSIM 5100A. So basically, unless your
computer is TEMPEST shielded, then anyone with cheap equipment can monitor
you with almost near anomity. Scary.
Oh yeah, and this was highly classefied for several years (and still is
somewhat), so this isn't make-belive ;)
And finally, though you guys may be security nuts (and thus will most
likely hate hackers), you should read the alt.2600 FAQ, which also has some
information on TEMPEST.
____ _ _ _ _ ____ __ _
|--| o |\/| o |\/| o [__] o | \|
a m m o n @ i k x . o r g
i k x . o r g / ~ a m m o n
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
"Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to
follow that talent to the dark place where it leads."
"A riot is the language of the unheard."
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
___ __ __ __ __ __
| |__) _) /__ / \ / \ take back alt.2600
| |__) /__ \__) \__/ \__/ http://tb2600.home.ml.org
