Free Mouse and KB
Gary Nichols
plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
Mon, 16 Dec 2002 12:26:36 -0700 (MST)
Bob George said:
> And unless you're using shielded equipment, someone can just as easily
> (though not necessarily cheaply) monitor your keystrokes from your
> wired keyboard, or capture screen images from your CRT monitor from
> some distance.
No doubt.
> I don't think even the most paranoid amongst us is running TEMPEST
> rated equipment.
Exactly my earlier point - coming from an environment where tempest rated
equipment was in use, modern consumer equipment is a joke to intercept.
> But am I mistaken in thinking that intercepting IR would require near
> line-of-sight?
Yes and no. There are IR receivers so small and sensitive that they can be
placed near the environment where the IR equipment is in operation and
intercept a large percentage of the information that passes through the
spectrum. I have seen such receivers used that had very poor LOS and still
worked ok.
> Then there were the interesting articles about being able to read
> datastreams from the blinking of modem lights...
Don't tell the RIAA - they'll be watching your blinky lights for those
illegally distributed mp3's. :-)