zlacker

All these little wires [0] emit electromagnetic radiation that be intercepted and turned back into whatever you see (and more).

Despite what you read on Hacker News no amount of encryption or software trickery is going to stop this.

[0]: http://imgur.com/IHXKlNw

>>mwti+(OP)
I like to believe that converting those EM signals back into something useful is beyond the ability of current technology, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong

>>colejo+p
This has been a known/practical attack for decades. OTOH, it does require physical proximity, although you could probably do it with a remotely controlled sensor at an intermediate location near the target.

What would be terrifying would be if someone could figure out how to do this attack via software compromise of some hardware sensor system already present throughout the environment; say, a way to repurpose a wifi chipset to pick up nth-order harmonics off a keyboard bus or something. Then, remote-root of some lesser machine could be used to spy on a hardened machine.

>>mwti+(OP)
Yes, carrying around a backpack with all of the receiving kit, and then processing it remotely or in the same kit. Most studies are done under idealized conditions as proof-of-concept for now. If they are close they can grab enough data, but it is still not 'there' yet to be ubiquitous; it will be soon though. That being said, I use tape at work, and at home on my forward-facing cameras, simply for privacy insurance. Those wires don't show a masked image. Even the best image re-construction or processing algorithms need more data, although you'd be surprised how much data can be extrapolated from semi-transparent Scotch tape over your camera! Maybe you think it's ok if somebody wants to RAT you, but don't forget, some of the photos released or used for extortion are of your SO, or other loved one in the background walking around naked, or doing something embarrassing. I don't care if somebody wants to RAT me this way; they'll go blind, and they must have nothing better to do!

>>colejo+p
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Eck_phreaking

Have you heard of this?

Video demonstration https://youtu.be/ZZ5HS8GWIec?t=1m45s

>>rdl+C
That was done a couple years ago

"IN THE AGE of surveillance paranoia, most smartphone users know better than to give a random app or website permission to use their device’s microphone. But researchers have found there’s another, little-considered sensor in modern phones that can also listen in on their conversations. And it doesn’t even need to ask."

http://www.wired.com/2014/08/gyroscope-listening-hack/

>>colejo+p
The NSA publishes standards for how to protect against this kind of attack: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_(codename)

We can speculate about whether the tech exists, but read their guide to securing your Red Hat box and decide for yourself how good they are at publishing defense against attacks they won't tell you about: https://www.nsa.gov/ia/_files/os/redhat/rhel5-guide-i731.pdf