Paranoid or Prepared? The spies on your desk

I usually receive questions about why I have a sticker on ambient light sensors my laptops and phone. Some think I don’t know the difference between a light sensor and a camera and try to explain to me that this is not a camera. Яны не ведаюць, што датчыкі навакольнага святла можна выкарыстоўваць разам з метадамі машыннага навучання для атрымання даных, як з слабыкамі камер.

Звычайна я чую ад людзей: “Але нам няма чаго хаваць!” Ну, у вас ёсць больш што хаваць, чым вы думаеце, і вашы дадзеныя можна аб'яднаць з іншымі данымі, сабранымі пра вас у іншых месцах, каб стварыць інтэлект на ўзроўні, пра які вы нават не маглі ўявіць. І тыя, хто збірае дадзеныя, не абавязкова маюць добрыя намеры. Вашы дадзеныя могуць збіраць розныя пагрозлівыя акцёры для аналізу з выкарыстаннем ШІ і выкарыстання для розных мэтаў і намераў.

У кібербяспекі, мы меркуем, што калі тып атакі магчымы і ёсць магчымасць яе правядзення, тады можа існаваць матывацыя для правядзення гэтых атак. We do not assume that those who can collect the data always have legitimate cause to collect that data. We also do not assume only a single party or entity exploit a vulnerability to collects that data.

Below is a list of other things that can be used to spy on you that you probably don’t know have such capabilities.

Your TV speaker can listen to you

I am one of those who usually choose a TV model without a microphone or camera before I need to physically remove those devices. I also have a home firewall and a secured internal network, but I have learned throughout the years not to only rely on logical controls. However, based on a WikiLeaks release in 2017 and documents from 2014, the CIA (in cooperation with MI5) turned speakers in certain TV models into microphones to collect data. They even developed a fake off mode to show that the TV is off when they collect those conversations. If you think your TV might listen to your conversation, it is better to unplug it when not in use. It also saves you some energy because plugged devices even while not in use may consume some electricity.

Your tablet or laptop light sensor can capture your hand or your image

I always adjust screen light manually, and I believe I have a good reason for that.

The ambient light sensor is used to measure the amount of light and to adjust the brightness of the screen. Ambient light sensors can be used to capture images or keystrokes to steal passwords and data. A group of MIT researchers recently created a proof of concept by using an Android tablet’s hand gestures captured by the ambient light sensor to capture touch interactions.

Your mouse may listen to your conversation

This one is outrageous! A mouse doesn’t have a microphone or even a speaker to be turned into a microphone to listen to anything. However, there is a side channel attack known as “Mic-E-Mouse” that enables an attacker to listen to your conversations through your mouse.

A high performance gaming mouse (high DPI) can be hijacked by its optical sensor, so when you talk, voice vibrations can be measured with these sensors. Using machine learning algorithms and data from mouse sensors, security researchers can identify intelligible speech from vibrations.

Side channel attacks are a type of physical attack that measures changes in device output while a device performs an action. This type of attack is usually more sophisticated and targets certain assets like encryption keys. However, if an attack method is developed for certain types of devices, it won’t be very difficult to expand it to other similar devices and even automate it.

Motion sensors (gyroscope) can be used to record your voice

Now that we learned your mouse can be used to record your talking, it’s good to know that motion sensors can also be used for the same purpose. This is important as almost all modern smart devices like phones and tablets have a gyroscope or motion sensor. The sensor acts as a vibrating device, making it perfect for side-channel attacks and to capture voice, as sound waves can produce tiny vibrations.

Your hard disk drive (HDD) noise can be captured to steal sensitive data

Now that we’ve learned about side channel attacks, there is a type of attack called DiskFiltration developed by a group of Israeli researchers that can capture sensitive data from the sound of a hard disk drive working. This type of attack is sophisticated and aims at devices with an air gap. With air gapped devices, a device is not connected to any network like the internet and is usually kept at sensitive facilities. Air gapped devices are not necessarily immune to cyber attacks. A classical example of these attacks is Stuxnet which targeted Iranian nuclear systems that were all air gapped.

У такім тыпе атакі, нападаючы заражае прыладу шкоднасным ПЗ, якое змяняе спосаб працы прылады. Шкоднаснае ПЗ можа быць унесена ў сістэму зламыснікам або іншымі спосабамі. Прылада адключана ад сеткі, так што шкоднаснае ПЗ не можа нічога адпраўляць вонкі. However, яно прымушае прыладу працаваць пэўным чынам, так што механізм дыска рухаецца па пэўных узорах. Бліжэйшы смартфон або прылада, якая не адключана ад сеткі, можа быць выкарыстаная для захопу гуку жорсткага дыска, каб дэкадаваць яго назад у дадзеныя падчас чытання або запісу, эфектыўна здымаючы изаляцыю ад сеткі.

Вентылятар вашага камп’ютара можа раскрыць вашы дадзеныя

У вашай сістэме ёсць SSD і вы не карыстаецеся танным і шумным HDD. Таму калі ваша прылада адключана ад сеткі, тутунныя дадзеныя немагчыма выкрасці. Ну! Another group of Israeli researchers invented a method for you. Although your SSD doesn’t have an arm to rotate to make noise like with an HDD, your computer fan can be used to capture sound to compromise sensitive data from your air gapped computer. У такім тыпе атакі, malware first infects the air gapped system (perhaps by an intruder to a secured facility), then the speed of the cooling fan will be changed in certain patterns. The sound can transmit the data to a nearby listening device.

WiFi signals can see through your walls

WiFi signals bounce off humans in a room. Researchers can see through walls to know how many people are in the room and identify individuals by movement and posture without needing any camera.