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TEMPEST
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 by others. 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).

TEMPEST countermeasures on this website
RF leak detector for shielded enclosures
Examples of TEMPEST-shielded equipment
DRS Technologies TCQ TEMPEST PC
TEMPEST power supply unit for Fialka cipher machine
CIS Secure DTD-7962-T2 TEMPEST version of Cisco 7962G Unified IP Phone
CIS
References
  1. Wikipedia, Tempest (codename)
    Retrieved 29 August 2021.
Further information
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Sunday 29 August 2021. Last changed: Saturday, 30 April 2022 - 07:41 CET.
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