TEMPEST

“TEMPEST” Safeguards sensitive information assets and confidential information from those who may do harm by shielding and protecting electronic devices and limiting the emanation of compromising electromagnetic signals. We offer TEMPEST Level II (NSTISSAM TEMPEST Level II) certified notebooks.

TEMPEST Facts

TEMPEST stands for Transient Electromagnetic Pulse Surveillance Technology.

Computers and other electronic equipment release interference to their surrounding environment. You may observe this by placing two video monitors close together. The pictures will behave erratically until you space them apart.

What is important for an observer is the emission of digital pulses (zeroes and ones) as these are used in computers and data communications. The channel for this radiation is in two arrangements, radiated emissions and conducted emissions. Radiated emissions are assembled when components in electrical devices form to act as antennas. Conducted emissions are formed when radiation is conducted along cables and wires.

Although most of the time these RF emissions are simply annoyances, they can sometimes be very helpful. Suppose we wanted to see what project a target is working on. We could sit in a van outside her office and use sensitive electronic equipment to attempt to pick up and decipher the radiated emissions from her video monitor. These emissions normally exist at around 55-245 MHz and can be picked up as far as one kilometer away.

A monitoring device can distinguish between different sources emitting RF radiation because the sources emanating the radiation are made up of dissimilar elements and this coupled with other factors varies the emitted frequency. For example different electronic components in VDUs, different manufacturing processes involved in reproducing the VDUs, different line syncs, etc… By synchronizing our raster with the targets raster we can passively draw the observed screen in real-time. This technology can be acquired by anyone, not just government agencies.

The target could shield the emissions from her equipment or use equipment that does not generate strong emissions. However, TEMPEST equipment is not legal for civilian use in the United States.

TEMPEST is the US Government program for evaluation and endorsement of electronic equipment that is safe from eavesdropping. TEMPEST certification refers to the equipment having passed a testing phase and agreeing to emanations rules specified in the government document NACSIM 5100A (Classified). This document sets forth the emanation levels that the US Government believes equipment can give off without compromising the information it is processing.

Source: www.tech-faq.com

About TEMPEST (via www.tscm.com)

TEMPEST is an official acronym for “Telecommunications Electronics Material Protected From Emanating Spurious Transmissions” and includes technical security countermeasures; standards, and instrumentation, which prevent (or minimize) the exploitation of security vulnerabilities by technical means. TEMPEST is nothing more then a fancy name for protecting against technical surveillance or eavesdropping of UNMODIFIED equipment (the unmodified part is important).

Other popular, but unofficial names for TEMPEST are “Transient Emanations Protected From Emanating Spurious Transmissions”, “Transient Electromagnetic Pulse Emanation Standard”, “Telecommunications Emission Security Standards”, and several similar variations (including: “Tiny Electro Magnetic Pests Emanating Secret Things”).

TEMPEST was “invented” in 1918 when Herbert Yardley and his staff of the Black Chamber were engaged by the U.S. Army to develop methods to detect, intercept, and exploit combat telephones and covert radio transmitters. The initial research identified that “normal unmodified equipment” was allowing classified information to be passed to the enemy through a variety of technical weaknesses. A classified program was then created to develop methods to suppress these “compromising emanations”. However, the actual acronym known as TEMPEST was only coined in the late 60’s and early 70’s (and is now considered an obsolete term, which has since, been replaced by the phrase “Emissions Security” or EMSEC).

TEMPEST and it’s associated disciplines involve designing circuits to minimize the amount of “compromising emanations” and to apply appropriate shielding, grounding, and bonding. These disciplines also include methods of radiation screening, alarms, isolation circuits/devices, and similar areas of equipment engineering.

TEMPEST disciplines typically involve eliminating or reducing the transients caused by a communication signal and the resulting harmonics. These signals and their harmonics could allow the original signal to be reconstructed and analyzed.

TEMPEST Approved Devices

A TEMPEST approved device (see below) is one that meets stringent technical requirements. The electromagnetic waves it emits have been reduced through shielding or other techniques to a point where it would be extremely difficult for a hostile intelligence agent to gather information from the electromagnetic waves and disclose the classified information being transmitted.

TEMPEST Approval – Type 1: A classified or controlled cryptographic equipment, assembly, component, or item endorsed by the National Security Agency (NSA) for securing telecommunications and automated information systems for the protection of classified or sensitive U.S. Government information exempted by the Warner Amendment for use by the U.S. Government and its contractors, and subject to restrictions in accordance with the International Traffic in Arms Regulation.

TEMPEST Approval – Type 2: An unclassified cryptographic equipment, assembly, component, or item endorsed by the National Security Agency for use in telecommunications and automated information systems for the protection of unclassified but sensitive information. Type 2 equipment is exempted by the Warner Amendment. Type 2 is available to U.S. Government departments, agencies, sponsored elements of state and local government, sponsored U.S. Government contractors, and sponsored private sector entities. It is subject to restrictions in accordance with the International Traffic in Arms Regulation.

TEMPEST Approval – Type 3: An unclassified cryptographic equipment, assembly, component, or item that implements an unclassified algorithm registered with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a FIPS for use in protecting unclassified sensitive, or commercial, information. This definition does not include Warner-Amendment-exempt equipment.

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TEMPEST Level II Certified Notebooks