Smartwatch Shenanigans: How Your Wrist Candy Could Swipe Top-Secret Data!
Mordechai Guri from Ben-Gurion University has devised SmartAttack, a technique using smartwatches to exfiltrate data from air-gapped systems via ultrasonic communication. By turning smartwatches into tiny spies, he proves that even your wrist can be a security risk, so maybe leave the smartwatch at home when visiting high-security environments!
Hot Take:
Who knew your beloved smartwatch could moonlight as a secret agent? Apparently, it’s not just for counting steps and reminding you to drink water anymore. In a plot twist worthy of a spy movie, these wrist gadgets are now being recruited for covert operations to swipe secrets from air-gapped systems. James Bond, eat your heart out!
Key Points:
- Researcher Mordechai Guri from Ben-Gurion University introduces “SmartAttack,” a technique for stealing data using smartwatches.
- Smartwatches use built-in microphones to intercept ultrasonic signals from air-gapped systems.
- Attack requires malware on both the air-gapped system and the smartwatch to facilitate data exfiltration.
- Data is transmitted using ultrasonic frequencies, making it inaudible to humans but not to smartwatches.
- Proposed mitigations include banning smartwatches and using ultrasonic jammers in secure spaces.
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