Russian Federal Guard Service "Upgrades" To Electric Typewriters

Razgorov Prikazka writes "The Russian Federal Guard Service (FSO), who are in charge of protecting high level politicians like president Putin (amongst others), are 'upgrading' to electric typewriters for writing sensitive documents. They have found out that computers pose a security risk and this is their answer to it. On first sight this seems like a very pragmatic and cost-efficient thing to do. However, the FSO has its roots in the KGB and those were the ones who placed keystroke loggers on the popular IBM Selectric electric typewriter 40 years ago! So how much safer does this make them?"

Comments

How much safer

[schneidafunk]

I suspect having a device that has only one purpose, as compared to a computer, it is much less likely to be compromised and much easier to detect.

Keep it simple

[fustakrakich]

No written communications. This whole writing and reading thing is overrated, and apparently can be dangerous.

Not all typewriters are ball-type

[davidwr]

The Ball-type IBM Selectric typewriters had a flaw that made it easy to tell what was being said just by the sound and delay between characters. You didn't even have to have the listening device in the typewriter, it could be across the room if it was "directional" enough.

While you could probably decode a lever-type typewriter's activity from just a good sound recording, it's probably much harder.

Oh, and as for trying to decode an inkjet- or thermal- electric typewriters just by the noise, "good luck with that."

Of course, today, if you can plant spy equipment in the room where the person is typing and you are good and well-funded, you don't need to rely on the noise the typewriter makes. Or, to put it another way, if you have a determined adversary who is significantly better than you, it's probably "game over" before the game even begins.