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Super Shielded PC Cases
mvw sent us an amusing link
for the super paranoid.
These cases
claim to be all shielded, all filtered, and emit none of the
stuff those snoopers like to listen to. Plus it looks like
it could be dropped from a low flying jet and keep ticking.
The government has purchased sheilded electronic equpment for years, as protection against tempest.
o nitoring.article
A quick search of IBM's patent server service revealed several interesting patents:
The best source of tempest info is this: http://www.eskimo.com/~joelm/tempest.html
And for protecting yourself from EMP interference or doing it yourself, http://www.eff.org/pub/Privacy/Security/tempest_m
and
http://jya.com/emp.htm
HERE is a really interesting company: http://www.codexdatasystems.com/
If you want real TEMPEST equipment, check out Hetra Secure Solutions (shameless plug) They sell all sorts of cool TEMPEST stuff, including rugged laptops and stuff. This is real TEMPEST equipment. They also sell TEMPEST moniters, printers, scanners, servers, you name it... You must be a US citizen to buy it though. =)
All of the lines are filtered. If you are using approved cables, they are heavily shielded as well. (If you're not using approved cables, you've defeated the point of the case anyway). Since the point of the setup is not EMP protection, it all really depends on how over-designed it is.
If it's milspec, I'll give it better than average odds.
Another problem is that the video port emmits TEMPEST, the video cable (even the shielded ones) emmit radiation, and the power outlet that the display is plugged into emmits radiation.
The only real solution is to purchase certified TEMPEST equipment.
There's nothing more sinister-looking than a dark brooding Courier, with its row of hellish-looking red LEDs flashing.
;-)
So I'm not the only one that thought WOPR (from WarGames) was the damndest cool-looking computer ever?
(Okay, so it wasn't black, but it was definitely sinister-looking
iSKUNK!
That is a good way to do it. Syncing with the signal isn't too hard, it's just like the vertical and horizontal hold knobs on an old TV. With a little more sophistication, the horizontal and vertical; blanking can be analyzed for automated synching (but why bother, it's easy enough).
In my stint in the USAF, we used something very simular to these for secure data transfer (the data transfer bit used STU-III units). The difference between those pictured and what I remember was the drive area was covered by two swinging "doors". I'm thinking what is pictured is an earlier model.
These things were HEAVY. Obviously designed with more rugged services in mind (seemed more USA than USAF). They had wire mesh shielding along all contact poits (top of case, the aforementioned doors, etc). The idea is to direct all errant signal to ground instead of inadvertantly broadcasting them to whoever might be able to listen.
They were also woefully behind the times - when 486DX4s were going against the first Pentiums, we had a 386. They worked fine for their task. But man, were they slow.
I wouldn't be suprised t find out that these puppies are military surplus.
All the cables need to be twisted pairs, much like the phone company uses. This way the EMP (almost) cancels itself out.
Almost any computer can be dropped from an aeroplane and keep working. It's only when it hits the ground that you run into problems.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
...we all know the Feds will be using M$-designed surveillance software...
"Um boss" "Yes?"
"We can't scan his machine." "Why not?"
"Our tools won't run on his machine! They require a Pentium III! He's got a 386!"
"Sneaky Bastard!"
"Dogs and cats, living together...it's mass hysteria!"
For some reason, most military stuff is incredibly uncute, rough and seems to be built with a hammer and an axe.
:-)
For non classified information, I'd still buy that cutie 1U Penguin rackable box I seen a banner for on slashdot lately. (I have no links to the compagny, but their site is worth visiting, their servers look really sexy). Maybe on the adfu page you can find their banner
Alexandre K. Golovanivsky http://datahit.com/
That's great and well for the CPU chassis, but if you want any output from the machine, the "snoopers" will have a much better target with that large electron gun you usually look at for results. (On a different note, that vendor does have documentation of EMI test results for each case to prove it meets the Tempest spec. right? =) Now if they sell boxes with lead walls, you may be able to purchase a secure working environment... until you need network connectivity, anyway.
How's my programming? Call 1-800-DEV-NULL
So will they protect my PC from an EMP? Somebody drops a nuke, and I could lose serious Quake Area play time.
Dirk
I keep trying to pick fights, but I can't shake this Excellent karma.
This guy's info is, at best, dated. "Tempest" hasn't been the approved term since 1996 -- "EMSEC" (Emissions Security) is now the official term. And last I checked, the EMSEC instructions don't provide allowances for all this shielding (whether they should is a different discussion) -- the "minimum spacing" requirements to separate classified & unclassified systems (and even classified systems rated for different levels of classification) would still hold.
Christopher A. Bohn
cb
Oooh! What does this button do!?
Did anyone else notice this "case" is a slightly modified IBM PC XT 5150?
Well, you also need electricity while falling down. So an attached cable (very long) would be helpful.
Greetings,
Project Manager of Crystal Space (http://www.crystalspace3d.org). Support CS at http://tinyurl.com/cb3x4
There's a book thats basically an historical account of the British intelligence agencies during the World War II era and the autobiography of the author, Peter Wright. It seems to be out of print so I won't post an Amazon URL.
Anyway, one of their escapades was to insert a pair of microphones either in the room with or directly inside a typewriter keyboard. From the sounds recorded this way they could reproduce what the typist was typing. Sort of a low-tech (high-tech at the time!) implementation of a TEMPTEST-like scheme.
If you can find it try reading the book. It starts off as a fairly good read and reveals some of the real way espionage agencies can get information. The writing style deteriorates later on (fired the ghost writer or hired a different ghost writer?)
No you just throw out a UPS as well. You wouldn't need an especially long life one too, 5 minutes is about all the backup power it would need. Hopefull long enough for it to backup everything on the hard drive to another machine that isn't at terminal velocity through wireless ethernet.
Van Eck Phreaking only works within a few meters of where the monitor is. The monitor is the biggest broadcaster (nice broadband at about 10dB), so all you really need to do if you're that paranoid is get a few ferrite cores and clamp them on the video signal cable and to the power cable. Don't forget your aluminum foil hats.
For those of us less paranoid, make sure that your case is closed. See them little metal springy thingies that are along the seams? Don't lose them. They keep the PC in FCC spec. Don't leave any rear IO fillers out either. Not only is it bad for airflow, but it lets EM radiation out too.
Hey this thing looks damn cool. I'd wanna get my hands on one simply because of that. Perfect for skydiving too...
---------------------------(
Whoa, first one in a while that's made it to X = 10+. Party on, Wayne!
/. every 30 seconds.
1) Bomb Shelter
2) Garbage can for AOL 30 Day Trial CDs.
3) Office cot.
4) A nifty hat. Come on, you know you've been tempted!
5) Really expensive paperweight.
6) Something else to spill coffee on.
7) Bulletin board.
8) Dildo.
9) Something else to throw out the window and watch go "kerplunk".
10) A new comfy home for the hamster that runs everything by wheel power.
11) A superfast, top of the line, totally dedicated working environment for reloading
-
How many nerds do you know that actually use a computer case? :-)
---
Try PC Power and Cooling. Also, Silent Systems has some nice stuff quiet enough to use in sound studios.
Paranoia will destroy yah... honest, mum.
Is there really any point to these 'beasts' ? I know that there are reasons to encrypt data, and that MI5 sand-blast their hard drives after use, but surely there must be a limit...
Yeah, who needs a POS 486 box that's shielded? I'd much rather have a mid-tower or server box that's beefed up like this thing purports to be. Looks like someone got bored with their old-skool packard bell case and spray painted the ugly thing black. Sucks.
That's a good start. The pairs should also run inside a shield grounded to the case. Not too hard to construct.
FYI: This is available now, and is built in to the PGP windows client.
On the issue of the case, it is almost exactly the opposite of what I need! My perfect case might have some of these qualities:
1) Ultra-light frame
2) Maximum internal size versus frame size
3) Quicklock removable case - to access the insides in a hurry, while closing quickly for transport (no more combing the carpet for a screw)
4) Case handles for easy luggability
5) built in CD Rack
etc.
anyone else care to contribute?
That may cover the net connection, but the monitor has a higher drag coefficient than the boat anchor box. So, you'll need locking connectors. The keyboard is likely to act like a wing and fly in its own direction, requiring it to be bonded to the box. He who has the fastest computer, wins!
GTE makes systems similar to this. They aren't Tempest shielded (the systems sit in metal shelters on the back of Hummers -- when the doors are closed on the shelters, the systems are Tempest protected), but they are called 'ruggedized'. Basically, this means these things can sit out in the desert in all the dust and have no problems. One came back from the field with a cup full of sand and it's not uncommon to find rocks in them. The systems can operate after being dropped (just don't drop them on anything you like, they are -way- heavy) and they can operate while being bounced around. One of the cool things is that these are high end systems. Ultra 2's and 10's with major memory and disk space. Basically, they're decent systems designed for harsh environments (the Army's battlefield, for instance).
More info at: http://chs2.gte.com/product.htm
The components are dated and the information is out of spec. I assume the whole thing is a joke - some of the pictures look just like an original PC spraypainted black. Hey! I've got one running still (with an 8088) so you know what? I'm going to paint it black and sell it too!
ls:
(A)bort, (R)etry, (I)gnore?
Ethernets only good over about 300 feet...
:)
You'll have to use wireless
OFTC: By the community, for the community
[1] UK, not Massachusetts, thank you.
-- Arm yourself when the Frog God smiles.
When I went to Naval Intellegence school in 1992 these cases were everywhere. Even the MFM and Floppy disk cables had a thick mesh around them. We had to disassemble a few dozen for scrap, took us all day. They were mostly designed to meet standards for electronic emmissions for computers at sea. The requirements these days are much less strict. As for the 8088 processor, thats about right, although I can recall a few retrofitted with 386 upgrades. We ran Zenix on the 386's using a thick coax lan, and the system was designated "PC NIPS" for Naval Intelligence Processing Systems.
People think Microsoft is the answer. Microsoft is just the question, "No" is the answer.
Metal cases, and they even painted it BLACK! I had to wipe away a tear of joy. Black equipment is always the best. Why do you think people were really interested in the NeXT cube? It wasn't really because of the software; they just pretended to like Nextstep later, after the cubes stopped being made. (Had to rationalize.)
Oh.. and why do I use a USR Courier instead of a Sportster? Duh. Because it's black, of course. There's nothing more sinister-looking than a dark brooding Courier, with its row of hellish-looking red LEDs flashing.
Of course, I used to use a black Micropolis drive, but it died, and now I use silver-white Quantum. Oh well, no theory is perfect.
As for the metal cases.... I don't really care about shielding; I just like heavy metal computers. Yep. Like IBM keyboards ... *drool* .. oh, don't get me started on IBM keyboards.
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
I understand that that monitor is build to prevent Van-Eck video interception. But the last time I used a monochrome monitor was a TSR-80.
Hey people, does anyone know how hard it is to pick up signals from an LCD monitor? I figured they are low-powered and would require completely different equipment to pick up an any signals it could put out. But I don't believe it puts out any signals. Thoughts?
Later
Erik Z
Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
Not likely...the case might be able to ground out the blast, but you'll get a spike from every wire attached to the beast....everything from the power cable to the keyboard...
I work for a USAF contractor. We are provided GFE (government furnished equipment) for test reference. One machine is a GTSI desktop PC that, at one point, was used by most of the Air Force's COMSEC (communications security) people. Supposedly, as long as you use certified periphials and properly shielded cables, the thing has no problems with EMSEC (emissions security, the result of the TEMPEST program).
:-)
The funny part is, it is an IBM Aptiva with a new sticker pasted on the front of it. Apparently, you don't need to use a two-inch-thick, lead-lined case for TEMPEST after all.....
dragonhawk@iname.microsoft.com
I do not like Microsoft. Remove them from my email address.
Go here...
Reason is the Path to God - Anon
For those of you who have not clicked this link, I urge you to! It is the entrance page to a DIA site, which has a notice that "USE OF THIS OR ANY OTHER DEPT. OF DEFENSE INTEREST COMPUTER SYSTEM (DODICS)
CONSTITUTES AN EXPRESS CONSENT TO MONITORING AT ALL TIMES." and then some other blurb in the same vein... And then an "AGREED" button.
I did not click it, fearing of course that the NSA or suchlike would be taking my pc's to bits (well, more to bits) within the hour... but then the page automatically agreed for me after 30s.
Nice
No shit. I was once moving around a bunch of XTs, forgot to put the screws back in one, picked up the case, and the actual system slid out and landed on my not-very-shielded converse hi-tops.
Owch...
Talking off the top of my head (hey this *is* slashdot, right?) wasn't the easiest way to snoop a CRT to get at the light intensity variation?
;-) simply closing the curtains probably won't help.
i.e. We don't care where the electron beam is pointing, it is just illuminating (or not) one pixel at a time. So feed the light (any light, reflected or otherwise) from the room into something which chops it up at the right frequency (which is presumably one of a small number of standard ones) and you're away.
Whilst a windowless room should be proof against this (as long as you black out the gap under the door
[And yes, I know light is also electromagnetic radiation. By 'EM' I mean the stuff which a Faraday cage is hoping to ground out. Sorry if this is insufficiently pedantic.]
I would care a whole lot more if someone would sell a nice quite case. I am really getting sick of all the whiring noises in my offices.
I don't know about the TEMPEST protection, but I suspect that whoever build this just shielded everything and figured that it could defeat the government. I seem to remember reading (many years ago) an article on a device that could read the emissions of a CRT (at least the older kind) from a respectable distance. The fact that this guy has put an old-style monocrome, probably high-radiation type, on that makes me think that he doesn't know what he's doing. It'd be interesting to know if anyone has actually TESTED his system. As far as being able to take abuse goes, my old Xerox 8086 looks like it could handle more than that PC clone could. That thing's built like a tank and has survived: :)
Being dropped from a height of 1.5 meters.
a power surge which fried a power strip.
being run with a tesla coil next to it. (for fun! Made it reset, but no other damage)
Lets see this spy-tech computer do that!
"Remember, it's not falling out the airplane that kills you. It's the sudden STOP!"