Look out Drones can steal data by flashing LED lights

UAVs have become more and more popular recently because they are found to be of great use. However, there is a problem with drones: they are immoral and even illegal. Drones can be used to steal data, steal from computers, and steal through PC flashing light. A camera mounted drone hovers in the sky, and a computer LED light flashes, and data is transmitted to the drone.

Fortunately, data theft was achieved in experiments, and researchers at Ben Gurion University in Israel completed the experiment. In order to complete attacks and prevent attacks, researchers have designed a program that uses the "air gap" system to isolate sensitive data from potential hackers. However, if an attacker can insert malicious software into the system, the researchers' approach will fail because computer hard disk LED lights are likely to leak data every time they flash.

"If an attacker finds an entry point in the air gap system, malware can send data to an attacker," said Mordecai Guri Guri, a researcher at the University of Israel - Gurion University in Israel, Mordechai. The attacker can control the hard disk LED indicator so that it flashes up to 6000 times per second. We can transmit data at long distances at very high speed."

In the course of the study, the team found that they could transmit data at 4000 bits per second, and malware could even make flickering repeated to ensure that data was not lost.

Computer LED lights are flashing all the time, and when malware runs, it's unlikely to cause suspicion. The researchers also found that if each read less than 4K bytes, LED blink time is not even 1/5 milliseconds. Using the on-off keying (OOK) system, the flash is transmitted to the camera and the light sensor. Intelligent mobile phone camera can only accept 60 bits of data per second, GoPro camera can receive 120 bits per second, the speed is too slow, so the researchers used SIEMENS photodiode sensor, it can transmit 4000 bits of data per second.

Let LED light flashing fast, not be aware of the human eye, while using light sensors to collect data, the attacker can do it. The researchers suggest that if you want to prevent an attacker from invading, it is best to use the air gap system to isolate the machine, put it in a safe room, away from the window.

We can put a layer of film on the windows of the building, it can shield the camera flash, and there are software on the market that can access the hard disk and make noise. When attackers steal data through the hard disk LED light, they can interfere.

The easiest and most effective way to prevent an attack is to put the LED light over it. If drones don't see LED lights, there's no way to steal data.

For more LED related information, please click on the LED network or pay attention to the WeChat public account (cnledw2013).