Next time you plug your laptop into a public power source, such as at an airplane terminal, be aware. Even though you may not realize what is going on and you may not see that anything is going on, someone out there may be using a power-line exploit against you. What is a power-line exploit and who uses it? Well, in other words, what I am trying to say is that while you wait there for your airplane, some hacker could be getting all of your information by using a certain tool.
The basic technique uses the wires that act as a source of energy to your laptop. The technique is a form of keyblogging. Keyblogging is an old trick, but people have found a way to twist this technique into something a little different. What happens is that they replicate the process of keyblogging, but this method uses nothing but the electric signals created with each keystroke.
In the power-line exploit, the hacker is able to obtain the keyboard signals that are generated by hitting keys. The data wire within the keyboard cable is unshielded and these signals leak into the ground wire in the cable. This then goes to electrical system of the computer. Hackers are able to figure out what keys have been struck based on the voltage fluctuations in the grounds.
An even scarier fact to know is that hackers still can log keystrokes when you are not even plugged into an outlet by remotely using a laser.
Some hackers are desperate people– so they will do anything to obtain your username and passwords to various sites. Whether it be your bank account, e-mail account, or Facebook, we must always remember to keep our personal information safe. Your information may not be safe in public places, but that is a risk that many of us take on a day to day basis.
