Keyboard Hacking
PROTECTION AGAINST HARDWARE
KEYBOARD HACKING DEVICES USING MICROPROCESSORS
ABSTRACT
Network security is a never ending battle between the system design engineers and the computer hackers. In an effort to keep the hackers out, engineers have developed an impressive array of encryption algorithms, authentication protocols and intrusion detection systems. The hackers have developed an equally impressive way of bypassing the security walls. However, both groups have continued to overlook one of the most vulnerable links in any computer network: the clients’ keyboard. Keyboards are still the input device of choice for the computers. A lot of “sensitive” information like the usernames, passwords, credit card information, etc., is passed through it. All keyboards perform the basic function of decoding the keystrokes to appropriate binary code that is read by the CPU. A small, easily purchased capture device can be attached to the computer keyboard port and can remain there for weeks, which can store decoded keystrokes directly from the keyboard and could reveal the sensitive information to the hacker. Thus the potential danger of having our network passwords and other important data stolen is always lurking around. So far, there hasn’t been a single wired keyboard that provides a solution to this problem. Probably, because this threat has been overlooked. The system of encrypting the data before transferring it through the port and later decrypting it solves this threat. So in this paper as a part we will look in detail about the keyboard capture devices & its threats to security. In the remaining half comes our ideas of securing the keyboard. If this is a success, then probably we could produce the first fully secured wired keyboard.
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KEYBOARD HACKING DEVICES USING MICROPROCESSORS
ABSTRACT
Network security is a never ending battle between the system design engineers and the computer hackers. In an effort to keep the hackers out, engineers have developed an impressive array of encryption algorithms, authentication protocols and intrusion detection systems. The hackers have developed an equally impressive way of bypassing the security walls. However, both groups have continued to overlook one of the most vulnerable links in any computer network: the clients’ keyboard. Keyboards are still the input device of choice for the computers. A lot of “sensitive” information like the usernames, passwords, credit card information, etc., is passed through it. All keyboards perform the basic function of decoding the keystrokes to appropriate binary code that is read by the CPU. A small, easily purchased capture device can be attached to the computer keyboard port and can remain there for weeks, which can store decoded keystrokes directly from the keyboard and could reveal the sensitive information to the hacker. Thus the potential danger of having our network passwords and other important data stolen is always lurking around. So far, there hasn’t been a single wired keyboard that provides a solution to this problem. Probably, because this threat has been overlooked. The system of encrypting the data before transferring it through the port and later decrypting it solves this threat. So in this paper as a part we will look in detail about the keyboard capture devices & its threats to security. In the remaining half comes our ideas of securing the keyboard. If this is a success, then probably we could produce the first fully secured wired keyboard.
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