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Compromising emanations (codename)
- this page is a stub
TEMPEST is an NSA specification and a
NATO certification, referring to spying on information systems through
leaking emanations. This includes the emission of unintentional
intelligence-bearing signals, such as Radio Frequency (RF) signals, light
and acoustic vibrations [1]. If such signals are intercepted and analysed by
an adversary (side-channel attack),
they might disclose sensitive information. In cryptography,
this might lead to reconstruction of (part of) the plaintext.
In practice, TEMPEST covers methods to spy upon others, as well as methods to
shield equipment against such spying. The latter is also known as
Emission Security (EMSEC), which is a subset of Communications Security
(COMSEC). Protecting equipment against TEMPEST-based spying is done by means of
distance, shielding, filtering and masking.
Equipment to check a device for unwanted emanations, is part of
Technical Surveillance and Counter-Measures (TSCM).
In Russian, the study, prevention and exploitation of unintended
emanations, is known as
ПЭМИН (PEMIN) —
the abbreviation of
ПОБОЧНЫЕ
ЭЛЕКТРОМАГНИТНЫЕ
ИЗЛУЧЕНИЯ
и НАВОДКИ,
which translates to something like:
Unwanted Electromagnetic Radiation and Interference.
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TEMPEST countermeasures on this website
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Examples of TEMPEST-shielded equipment
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TEMPEST affected equipment
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In the US, the presence of unwanted emanations was
first discovered – accidentally – by Bell Labs engineers in 1943.
Whilst using a 131-B2 (PYTHON)
One-Time Tape (OTT) cipher machine,
one of the engineers noticed glitches (spikes) on his oscilloscope
that was at a considerable distance from the machine. It appeared that
the relays of the connected teletype equipment caused the radiation
of Radio Frequency (RF) signals, and that since the five relays
that represented in the input character were not operated simultaneously,
the plaintext character could be reconstructed.
Recognised TEMPEST phenomena:
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- RF Radiation
- Induction/Conduction
- Magnetic fields
- Power line modulation
- Acoustics
- Seismics
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- Shielding
- Filtering
- Masking
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Partly approved for release by NSA on 29 September 2007.
FOIA Case # 51633.
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Sunday 29 August 2021. Last changed: Saturday, 21 December 2024 - 21:42 CET.
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