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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Erik Slof e0slof@********.cs.adelaide.edu.au
Subject: TEMPEST in 2060
Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 11:02:38 +0930 (CST)
Would TEMPEST be still a valid attack in the 60's

TEMPEST stands for Transient Electromagnetic Pulse Emanation
Surveilence Technology and works off the detection of electromagnetic
Radiation produced by the CRT (i would say this is void as CRT would be
old tech) CPU (this could still be their) and cabling (this could be but
atm Optic fibre makes this hard and as OF would be much more common thus
this item negated effectively), From a remote location using atenna array
and a processor for the signal.
Message no. 2
From: Edward Huyer arcanum@*****.com
Subject: TEMPEST in 2060
Date: Tue, 09 May 2000 12:19:39 -0400
> Would TEMPEST be still a valid attack in the 60's
>
> TEMPEST stands for Transient Electromagnetic Pulse Emanation
> Surveilence Technology and works off the detection of electromagnetic
> Radiation produced by the CRT (i would say this is void as CRT would be
> old tech) CPU (this could still be their) and cabling (this could be but
> atm Optic fibre makes this hard and as OF would be much more common thus
> this item negated effectively), From a remote location using atenna array
> and a processor for the signal.

I think the general consensus is that most computer systems have gone
optical by the '60s, making them immune to TEMPEST surveilance. But that
doesn't mean that certain systems or devices can't be vulnerable...

Arcanum
Edward Huyer
arcanum@*****.com
ICQ# 1667646
-----
"There is no spoon."
fnord
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GCS/AT d-@ s:- a--(+) C++(++++)>$ U P L+ E(-) W+(++) N(+) o? K- w M- V? PS+
PE(+) Y+ PGP t(+) 5 X+ R+ tv(-) b+>++++ DI(+) D++ G- e>+++ h-(!) r-- y?
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
Message no. 3
From: Edward.Chegwidden@****.int Edward.Chegwidden@****.int
Subject: TEMPEST in 2060
Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 10:44:50 +1000
On Tue, 9 May 2000 11:02:38 Erik Slof wrote:
>
>Would TEMPEST be still a valid attack in the 60's
>
>TEMPEST stands for Transient Electromagnetic Pulse Emanation
>Surveilence Technology and works off the detection of electromagnetic
>Radiation produced by the CRT (i would say this is void as CRT would be
>old tech) CPU (this could still be their) and cabling (this could be but
>atm Optic fibre makes this hard and as OF would be much more common thus
>this item negated effectively), From a remote location using atenna array
>and a processor for the signal.

Actually using todays technology, Flat Screen monitors actually have worse
tempest emminations than CRT monitors. Why ? I do not know, but being trained
to combat tempest, this is one thing I have discovered.

If circuits have moved onto optical paths (which would make sense as this would
reduce heat and speed up processes immensly) then, as per todays fibre optic
cable, the range of tempest emminations would be so pitifully small that you
would have to be right on the cable to tap the circuit. Yes, F/O cable can be
tapped without removing any shielding, there is a certain amount of emmination
that can be picked up with the right equipment.

regards,
Edward.
Message no. 4
From: Simon and Fiona sfuller@******.com.au
Subject: TEMPEST in 2060
Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 11:44:35 +1000
-----Original Message-----
From: Edward Huyer <arcanum@*****.com>
To: shadowrn@*********.com <shadowrn@*********.com>
Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2000 2:21 AM
Subject: Re: TEMPEST in 2060


> Would TEMPEST be still a valid attack in the 60's
>
> TEMPEST stands for Transient Electromagnetic Pulse Emanation
> Surveilence Technology and works off the detection of electromagnetic
> Radiation produced by the CRT (i would say this is void as CRT would be
> old tech) CPU (this could still be their) and cabling (this could be but
> atm Optic fibre makes this hard and as OF would be much more common thus
> this item negated effectively), From a remote location using atenna array
> and a processor for the signal.

>I think the general consensus is that most computer systems have gone
>optical by the '60s, making them immune to TEMPEST surveilance. But that
>doesn't mean that certain systems or devices can't be vulnerable...

All computers are immune to EM pulses in Shadowrun (according to the
timeline in the 2nd edition, too damn lazy to get a proper quote). Would
that also work the other way, shielding any electromagnetic radiation coming
from the inside as well?

Further Reading

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Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!