Power sockets can be used to eavesdrop on what people type on a computer | Hacker News Reader

Power sockets can be used to eavesdrop on what people type on a computer

news.bbc.co.uk

24 pointsshivam147 comments

demonstration was more informative: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=700356

This is very badass, but who in the blazes still plugs their keyboard into their PC with anything but USB cables?

(Disclaimer: Yes, I know that there are probably still hundreds of thousands of legacy setups in constant use that are probably connecting their keyboards with PS2 cables. But if you're travelling and working in a hotel room, you're probably on a laptop, and if someone can hook up a remotely-monitored oscilloscope to your electric system and get away unnoticed, you're hosed anyway.

It's still pretty awesome, though.)

Also, this makes me wonder if the signal on wireless keyboards is encrypted. Do most of them use bluetooth? Is that safe against people dropping eaves?

EDIT: Ahh, I see. You can detect the signals wirelessly... my ignorance about electronics shines boldly through. The demonstration is very, very cool.

This is a brilliant example of a comment, anywhere but particularly here where technology and our relationship with it is fundamental.

Respond. Think about it out loud. Explain how your primary response is still valid. Use the word 'awesome'. Think some more. Then go away, do more research, and update your post with a self-qualifier and the words 'very, very cool'.

Thanks. Very, very cool.

I'm confused by your reply. Are you saying that my comment is indicative of a deeper technological ignorance therein? I openly admit that I know very little about this particular field of interest; I saw what I felt was a salient point about the OP and decided to note it here. I feel comfortable commenting on HN because I know someone will point it out if I'm wrong--which is often.

as another poster mentioned, the trick works on usb and built-in laptop keyboards as well. Basically if you're typing on any kind of keyboard, you're vulnerable :-)

secure wireless keyboard might be more secure only because there is less power going through the devices, so the signal is potentially weaker (battery powered)

Dang. Now I have to wrap my keyboard cable in tinfoil hats.

It took the news media a quarter century to become breathless about TEMPEST? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TEMPEST

Reply on news.ycombinator.com