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From: dennis@rlgvax.UUCP (Dennis Bednar)
Newsgroups: net.dcom
Subject: Re: Wiretapping Serial & Ethernet Lines
Message-ID: <838@rlgvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Nov-85 01:25:26 EST
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.838
Posted: Thu Nov 14 01:25:26 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Nov-85 05:03:18 EST
References: <277@geowhiz.UUCP>
Organization: CCI Office Systems Group, Reston, VA
Lines: 22

> 
>   I recently was playing with a terminal and an oscilloscope, trying
> to get the terminal working and interfaced to our system.  I noticed
> that when I just held the scope probe next to the RS-232 cable, I
> could see the serial data going by on the scope.
> 
>   Is it possible to non-intrusively tap a serial line like this?


I once read somewhere that someone with the proper equipment in
a different room, can tap into the data-stream between your terminal
and host, but I don't know how true it is.  Given sensitive enough
equipment, I would believe this.

Anyway, DOD has recognized that emination of electrical radiation from
computer type devices can be bad (allow intruders to snoop on their data),
and so has come up with the "Tempest" standard, which basically says that
a device must be manufactured such that the radiation is minimized
from leaking out.
-- 
Dennis Bednar	Computer Consoles Inc.	Reston VA	703-648-3300
{decvax,ihnp4,harpo,allegra}!seismo!rlgvax!dennis