"Hackers Can Steal Cryptographic Keys by Video-Recording Power LEDs 60 Feet Away"
Researchers have developed a novel attack that recovers the secret encryption keys in smart cards and smartphones by using iPhone cameras or commercial surveillance systems to video record the power LEDs that glow when the card reader or smartphone is on. The attacks enable a new method for exploiting two previously disclosed side channels, a type of attack that measures physical effects leaked from a device during a cryptographic operation. Attackers can collect enough information to recover the secret keys underpinning a cryptographic algorithm's security and confidentiality by carefully monitoring characteristics such as power consumption, sound, electromagnetic emissions, and how long an operation takes. This article continues to discuss the attack that recovers the secret encryption keys stored in smart cards and smartphones.