Computer Spying

1999/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Periferikoak

A computer, an analysis program, an antenna and a radio wave capture system are enough to spy on other nearby computers. This equipment is expensive (about $50,000), but prices are falling rapidly and there are already cheaper equipment. The spy will collect the radio waves emitted by magnetic heads, screens and hard drive keyboards and get the information stored on the computer.

The University of Cambridge has developed a risk protection system. The security measures to be adopted are three: adding to the computer a system that "saves" the magnetic heads of the hard disk in an area where there is no data, using smooth edge monitors and, through a system that generates random series of numbers, distorting the signal emitted by the keyboard.