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Your Computer Keystrokes Can Now Be Read Over the Air

by Warren Riddle on March 16, 2009 at 07:06 AM


In an era of ever-present phishing scams, debilitating viruses, and dwindling privacy, computer users have a new threat to confront. Two separate research firms have discovered inexpensive and relatively easy methods of intercepting and interpreting keyboard strokes.

Using only an oscillator, an electronic circuit that emits a repetitive signal, and a regular wireless antenna, researchers from Lausanne, Switzerland's Ecole Polytechnique were able to identify key strokes from over 50 feet away with 95-percent accuracy. Using this inexpensive technique, the researchers were able to "capture and decode" the electromagnetic radiation produced as keys are pressed.

Andrea Barisani and Daniele Bianco, researchers for Inverse Path, used a similar method to achieve the same results. Using their computers, an oscillator, and $500 worth of equipment, the researchers accessed keyboard information from keyboard ground wires. Barisani told IDG News, "The data cable is so close to the ground cable, the emanations from the data cable leak onto the ground cable, which acts as an antenna," broadcasting the data to the researchers.


The Ecole Polytechnique group hopes to publish its findings soon after a peer review, while Inverse Path will present its results at the CanSecWest conference next week in Vancouver, BC. The conference focuses on digital security and pits hackers against popular gadgets and operating systems.

In a totally unrelated query (we swear we're not scared and have nothing to hide), does anyone know of any good deals on underground bunkers? Maybe in the mountains of Montana or the Badlands of South Dakota? [From: ITWorld via Slashdot]

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Tags: cansecwest, crime, hacking, hacks, inverse path, InversePath, oscillators, pwn2own, security

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