“Compromising Electromagnetic Emissions – The Approach From the Perspective of Classified Information Protection”

On April 1, 2019, the Office of the National Registry of State Secret Information (O.R.N.I.S.S.) organized a seminar on “Compromising Electromagnetic Emissions – The Approach From the Perspective of Classified Information Protection”, which took place at the Carol I Central University Library, str Bolteanu nr. 1, Bucharest.

SC BlueSpace TECHNOLOGY S.R.L., together with INTRIPLE A.S. have supported this activity, raising considerable problems in the field of ensuring the protection of classified information transmitted through communication systems.

The subject was approached from the theoretical point of view, with a teaching material support presenting the risks, their causes and methods of combating the problems, as well as from a practical point of view, with demonstrations related to the vulnerabilities that the compromising electromagnetic emissions pose to computer systems and communications that convey classified information.

The term “TEMPEST” is a focal point around which all the topics presented during the seminar were gravitated. Both O.R.N.I.S.S. and the rest of the participants expressed their common interest in this area of electronic protection against the issuance of compromising transmissions. This highlights the importance of knowing the level of risk we are exposed to, as well as the protection methods that can be implemented with the equipment developed in this respect.

Moreover, O.R.N.I.S.S., along with its official partners and invited guests, as well as representatives of the accredited laboratories, wanted to inform the public of interest, especially the institutions with a role in national defense, about the reality of the technological evolution accompanied by a the multitude of risks and the seriousness with which they should be treated.

A demonstration of the possibility of restoring the image from a desktop to another screen with the help of a set of electromagnetic interference equipment has made a considerable contribution to the importance of the institutions dealing with the subject, together with TEMPEST solutions and electromagnetic shielding domains. This demonstration by INTRIPLE A.S. has raised many question marks among the invitations but has also made clear the assertions about the technological dangers we are unintentionally exposed to, which are not given the right amount of credibility.

In the continuation of the April 1 seminar, guests from INTRIPLE A.S. have held TEMPEST training courses, which used specialized equipment and were held over two days on April 2 and 3, 2019.

Among the technical information presented, O.R.N.I.S.S. has also provided an overview over the required protocols and existing legislation on electromagnetic shielding methods, according to NATO and ISO standards.

Covering a large number of issues of interest in the protection of classified information, the seminar organized by O.R.N.I.S.S., with the support of S.C. BlueSpace TECHNOLOGY S.R.L. and INTRIPLE AS, has reached its goal of informing and reporting on the rapid and alarming development of a field, for which every institution, carrying out activities in national security and beyond, should be prepared and in continuous exploitation and research into possible risks, using appropriate, effective and in accordance with the norms imposed at NATO, EU and national levels.