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If you want to get a bit more scientific, there are other way channels to extract data from an air gapped computer, they include:

No. At least not from Tom Cruise. Seriously though, while you definitely don’t need to freak out and go find an alternative to air gapping, it would be silly to pretend that nothing can go wrong. Air gapped computers can still be breached. Granted, it’s a hell of a lot harder to do when a computer is air gapped, but methods exist.

Electromagnetic channels are the oldest attack vector of the group. These techniques include eavesdropping on EM radiation from the computer’s memory bus and monitoring leakage from USB ports and cables. Because electromagnetic channels have been widely studied, EM shielding has become a fairly common defensive measure.

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Unlike the other categories, thermal hacks are more theoretical than anything at this point. While they have been demonstrated, the bandwidth is low, measuring in the low tens of bits per second over a very short distance. It’s unclear whether this will ever become a practical attack vector.

Here’s a good example from pop culture. Do you remember the scene from the movie Mission Impossible where Tom Cruise rappels down from the ceiling?

That last point is especially salient. These exploits were pulled off primarily to raise awareness, they’re not things you are likely to find in the wild. On the flip-side, most cybercriminals don’t provide proofs of concept, so there could be other methods we don’t even know about.

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You will tend to find air gapped computers implemented in high security environments, think classified military networks and payment networks. Here are some more examples of networks or systems that might be air gapped:

Patrick started his career as a beat reporter and columnist for the Miami Herald before moving into the cybersecurity industry a few years ago. Patrick covers encryption, hashing, browser UI/UX and general cyber security in a way that’s relatable for everyone.

It’s one of the most famous scenes in movie history. In it, Cruise lowers himself from an air vent and dangles just feet above the floor as he steals a list from a computer in FBI headquarters.

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The Boiler Control 261 is designed to stage two on/off boilers using Outdoor Temperature Reset. It can be used in applications ranging from a single zone of baseboard, multiple baseboard and fan coil zones, to dedicated setpoint heating in commercial buildings. This control regulates a single heating water temperature through Outdoor Temperature Reset and/or setpoint target control. It is capable of controlling (stage and rotate) up to 2 on/off boilers, or a single 2 stage boiler, as well as the system pump.

Interestingly, as more and more devices come online and become “smart,” a number of products that have traditionally been air gapped like thermostats, electronic sprinklers and automobile components are now connecting to the public internet.

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As we’ve covered, just having a computer air gapped doesn’t provide quite the level of security as it used to. Again, that’s not to say that air gapping isn’t still a phenomenal security mechanism. It is. But could you do more to make your air gapped systems safer?

An air-gapped computer is isolated from unsecured networks, meaning that it is not directly connected to the internet, nor is it connected to any other system that is connected to the internet. A true air gapped computer is also physically isolated, meaning data can only be passed to it physically (via USB, removable media or a firewire with another machine).

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Some companies will market that a network or computer is air gapped despite the fact that the systems are only separated with a software firewall. Be cautious of this, firewalls can be breached as a result of both security failures and mis-configurations.

Recently, acoustic channels have become a popular attack vector on account of the proliferation of hackable smartphones that are capable of picking up audio signals that the human ear can’t differentiate from background noise. The most cutting-edge area involves the use of ultrasonic sound waves with higher frequencies that are both inaudible and provide greater bandwidth.

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The most recent channel to be explored, optical transmission is bolstered by the advent and widespread availability of easily-hacked surveillance cameras. The cameras include LEDs on almost every system and can transmit substantial amounts of information.

Good old fashioned social engineering. That’s right, the easiest way to breach an air gapped computer is to find a human intermediary to wittingly (or possibly unwittingly) breach the computer. To do this they will need to access the computer themselves and attach a USB device like a flash drive or a Wi-Fi dongle.

If you follow cyber security for long enough you’re bound to come across the term “air gapped computer.” As it relates to computer networking, air gapping is a security measure to ensure that a computer network is physically isolated from unsecured networks like the internet and local area networks.

It’s extremely challenging. The common theme with all of these attacks is that they require physical proximity. We’re talking about being close enough to record Electromagnetic radiation, pick up inaudible sound waves or rappel down from the ceiling.