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CRT Eavesdropping: Optical Tempest

Posted by michael on from the tinfoil-house dept.

PortalCell writes "LED status monitors may potentially leak data in a few applications, but worse: Markus Kuhn has now revealed (pdf) that it's possible to read your monitor indirectly just by observing how the blue flicker lights up the room! Forget taping up LEDs or living in a metal box - now you might have to do without sunlight to be secure!" Hopefully people will also stop submitting the LED story now.

9 of 219 comments (clear)

  1. Not again... by danro · · Score: 1, Funny

    I better get my tin foil hat out, or get a TFT...

    --

    "First lesson," Jon said. "Stick them with the pointy end."
    1. Re:Not again... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      Dude, didn't you know? Now they can hear your data from 15 miles away by reading those clicking noises your drive makes...

      It's madness! Soon it really will be like Blade Runner - my digital camera will be able to go round corners just like the Vespa thingy does, "Left a bit, right a bit, go behind the pillar..."

      And that thing about how a butterfly flapping its wing in China affects stuff in the US? You'll be able to photo that from Chicago...

  2. Hopefully the people who submit read too by beamz · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Hopefully people will also stop submitting the LED story now."

    This article was posted Wednesday. Maybe people will get the clue and read slashdot before they send in submissions and just maybe the editors will do the same as well.

    http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/03/06/1221 22 4

  3. Yet another advantage of Linux... by cmckay · · Score: 4, Funny

    From the end of page 14:
    "Rooms where a significant amount of the ambient light comes from displayed sensitive information should be shielded appropriately, for example by avoiding Windows."

    Ha! Take that, Microsoft!
    --Cam

  4. Re:Cover the windows! by martissimo · · Score: 3, Funny

    Forget the hat, in times like theese only a Full tinfoil body suit will do!

  5. Security to do list by appleprophet · · Score: 5, Funny

    1) Remove Windows from computer
    2) Remove windows from computer room

  6. the blue flash will tell an eavesdropper... by gTsiros · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...that the computer just crashed nastily (AND that it was running windows) if anything.

    --
    Looking for people to chat about multicopters, coding, music. skype: gtsiros
  7. OMG, Whatever next? by WasterDave · · Score: 3, Funny

    God, maybe someone standing behind me can see what's on my CRT too?

    Dave

    --
    I write a blog now, you should be afraid.
  8. Different problem - same fix by Sabalon · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have a ton of LED's in my computer room. It used to have an odd glow, but some electrical tape over them fixed that. Now, with the exception of my speakers, you can't see any of the LED's - it's now secure from LED sniffing.

    So, I just applied the same fix for this, since my monitor faces a window. There is now a few strips (about 30) of electrical tape covering my monitor and the flicker is gone.

    I appologize for any typing errors though. Every fix has a downside :)