At the Defcon security conference in Las Vegas, renowned hacker Samy Kamkar will debut his DIY laser-based surveillance system, which can detect keystrokes and sounds from a distance through a window.
Kamkar’s system uses an infrared laser that is invisible to the human eye, pointed at a laptop through a window. The laser detects the vibrations of the laptop’s keys as they are pressed, allowing the hacker to reconstruct the typed characters. This technique works even without a view of the keyboard, as long as the hacker has a line-of-sight view of a reflective portion of the laptop.
• Can detect keystrokes and sounds from a distance through a window
• Uses an infrared laser that is invisible to the human eye
• Can reconstruct typed characters without a view of the keyboard
• Can pick up sounds and conversations in the room by bouncing the laser off a window
Kamkar’s system is an open-source implementation of a laser microphone, and he plans to publish the full schematics on his website and GitHub. This technology has the potential to be used for malicious purposes, but it also highlights the importance of security and surveillance in the digital age.
Kamkar’s system demonstrates the potential for advanced surveillance technologies that can detect and record sensitive information from a distance. As this technology becomes more accessible, it raises important questions about privacy and security in the digital age.