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Invisible Spying: How Devices Leak Data
4 Mar
Summary
- Computers emit radio waves, sound, and vibrations that can reveal private data.
- US lawmakers urge investigation into TEMPEST-style surveillance vulnerabilities.
- Government has not warned public or required manufacturers to add countermeasures.
Sensitive data can be compromised through unintended physical emissions from computing devices, a security concern known as side-channel attacks. These emanations, including radio waves and vibrations, can be intercepted and deciphered by adversaries. This threat, historically studied by agencies like the NSA under the codename TEMPEST, has been acknowledged by the US government for decades.
Concerned about public exposure, Senators Ron Wyden and Shontel Brown have initiated an investigation into these vulnerabilities. They requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the scale of the modern threat, the practicality of incorporating countermeasures into devices, and policy options, including mandates for manufacturers.
The US government has historically implemented security measures like Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) for classified information. However, lawmakers note a lack of public warning or imposed requirements on consumer electronics manufacturers regarding these side-channel attack defenses, leaving the public unprotected and uninformed.
