On June 13, security researchers disclosed their findings that encryption keys for wireless devices are vulnerable to theft. This research found that cameras in cellular phones or commercial surveillance systems can be used to record power light emitting diodes (LEDs) from up to 60 feet away from a device, thus capturing encryption keys.

This new weakness exploits two previously known side-channel attacks, a class of attacks measuring physical effects “leaking” from a device as it performs its operations. Companies should review their systems for this vulnerability, including smart card readers used for access or authentication. All industries are vulnerable to this exploitation; however, health care may be especially hard hit in the future due to the potential to expose electronic medical records. Defense contractors with sensitive information are also highly targeted and should review how this could impact their systems and networks. But the reality is that any secured physical area could be impacted by an attacker’s ability to physically break into buildings and facilities. 

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