Towards large-scale EM-leakage evaluation by means of automated TOE synchronisation

The security problem of screen image leakage from a display unit through electromagnetic (EM) radiation has received wide interest of security researchers since the Van Eck's paper. To investigate the risk of EM-information leakage, we want to analyse as many devices as possible. However, during the evaluation, we face the problem of necessity on the target devices' synchronization parameters which we use to reconstruct the image. Even though limited numbers of timings are used in the field, slight differences among devices introduced during production require an evaluator to search for the actual timings for each of them. The search has been done by human heuristics and many trial and errors; which prevents analysis of massive amount of target of evaluation (TOE). We propose a technique to automate the search by using a classification method, which is carried out on a computer, to help EM-leakage evaluation.

[1]  Jiadong Xu,et al.  On compromising emanations from computer VDU and its interception , 2002, 2002 3rd International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility.

[2]  S. Sebastiani,et al.  Information security and emissions control , 2005, 2005 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, 2005. EMC 2005..

[3]  H. Sekiguchi,et al.  Proposal of an Information Signal Measurement Method in Display Image Contained in Electromagnetic Noise Emanated from a Personal Computer , 2008, 2008 IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference.

[4]  Chenjiang Guo,et al.  Bit error rate of a digital radio eavesdropper on computer CRT monitors , 2004, IEEE International Symposium on Communications and Information Technology, 2004. ISCIT 2004..

[5]  Hidema Tanaka,et al.  Evaluation and Improvement of the Tempest Fonts , 2004, WISA.

[6]  W. V. Eck Electromagnetic Radiation from Video Display Units: An Eavesdropping Risk? , 1996 .

[7]  Igor Kononenko,et al.  Machine Learning and Data Mining: Introduction to Principles and Algorithms , 2007 .

[8]  Markus G. Kuhn,et al.  Soft Tempest: Hidden Data Transmission Using Electromagnetic Emanations , 1998, Information Hiding.

[9]  Takashi Watanabe,et al.  Synchronization Clock Frequency Modulation Technique for Compromising Emanations Security , 2009 .

[10]  Markus G. Kuhn,et al.  Compromising Emanations , 2005, Encyclopedia of Cryptography and Security.

[11]  Markus G. Kuhn,et al.  Electromagnetic Eavesdropping Risks of Flat-Panel Displays , 2004, Privacy Enhancing Technologies.