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Such side channel attacks are academic. In fact someone on HN pointed out there's a researcher that invents new ones by the dozen and media run with it whenever

Such side channel attacks are academic. In fact someone on HN pointed out there's a researcher that invents new ones by the dozen and media run with it whenever he presents another one.

bawolff 2y ago
I mean, someone who researches security of airgap computers continually coming up with new ways to break them, seems like the expected outcome. Its their job after all.
- 6510 2y ago
  I would start by asking what they need computers for. You don't really need one to read text from a screen. Of that most would be old documents that for the most part should be public. What remains besides reading is most likely 95% stuff they shouldn't be doing. The most secure part is the stuff we wish they were doing.
  - baseballdork 2y ago
    I’m having a real hard time understanding what this comment is saying. Are you asking what high side computers are used for besides reading classified information?
    - 6510 2y ago
      Maybe, I could also be asking why you would use a computer if all you want is to read documents. If you have an operator send a telegram for you that person is capable of doing a lot more with your text than you want. On the other end is another telegram operator to further increase the risk. You might want to send a letter in stead. It's slower but more secure. If you want to read text from a monitor a computer is super convenient but like the operator it can do other things you don't want. You don't need a computer to put text on a screen. Alternatives might be slow and expensive but in this case you don't have to send things to the other side of the world. That would be the thing you specifically don't want.
j-bos 2y ago
The foundations of computer science were once, mostly academic.
churchill 2y ago
You probably mean Dr. Moderchai Guri - all his Arxiv mentions (a lot!) are for unconventional tactics for compromising airgapped systems.
TeMPOraL 2y ago
It's fun, and not hard to come by. Everything anything does - which includes everything an air-gapped computer does - constantly radiates information about its doing, at the speed of light (note: think causality, not light). We know the data is there, and inventing new and interesting ways to tap into that stream is a really nice hobby to have.

Such side channel attacks are academic. In fact someone on HN pointed out there's a researcher that invents new ones by the dozen and media run with it whenever he presents another one.

bawolff 2y ago

I mean, someone who researches security of airgap computers continually coming up with new ways to break them, seems like the expected outcome. Its their job after all.

6510 2y ago
I would start by asking what they need computers for. You don't really need one to read text from a screen. Of that most would be old documents that for the most part should be public. What remains besides reading is most likely 95% stuff they shouldn't be doing. The most secure part is the stuff we wish they were doing.
- baseballdork 2y ago
  I’m having a real hard time understanding what this comment is saying. Are you asking what high side computers are used for besides reading classified information?
  - 6510 2y ago
    Maybe, I could also be asking why you would use a computer if all you want is to read documents. If you have an operator send a telegram for you that person is capable of doing a lot more with your text than you want. On the other end is another telegram operator to further increase the risk. You might want to send a letter in stead. It's slower but more secure. If you want to read text from a monitor a computer is super convenient but like the operator it can do other things you don't want. You don't need a computer to put text on a screen. Alternatives might be slow and expensive but in this case you don't have to send things to the other side of the world. That would be the thing you specifically don't want.

j-bos 2y ago

The foundations of computer science were once, mostly academic.

churchill 2y ago

You probably mean Dr. Moderchai Guri - all his Arxiv mentions (a lot!) are for unconventional tactics for compromising airgapped systems.

TeMPOraL 2y ago

It's fun, and not hard to come by. Everything anything does - which includes everything an air-gapped computer does - constantly radiates information about its doing, at the speed of light (note: think causality, not light). We know the data is there, and inventing new and interesting ways to tap into that stream is a really nice hobby to have.