Hacking radio signals (RF) IS the leading edge of cybersecurity!
So many applications in our modern life use radio frequency elements that it is hard to list them all. For instance, consider the following list:
Automobile and vehicle access and monitoring
Mouse and keyboards
Cellphone Signals
Remote control
Telemetry
Satellite transmissions
Police and military encrypted communication
Small-range wireless network
Wireless meter reading
Access control systems
Drone control and monitoring
Wireless home security systems
Area paging
Industrial data acquisition system
Radio tags reading
RF contactless smart cards
Wireless data terminals
Wireless fire protection systems
Biological signal acquisition
Hydrological and meteorological monitoring
Robot remote control
Wireless data transmissions
Digital video/audio transmission
Digital home automation, such as remote light/switch
Industrial remote control, telemetry and remote sensing
Alarm systems and wireless transmission for various types of low-rate digital signal
Remote control for various types of household appliances and electronics projects
Many other applications field related to RF wireless controlling
Mobile web server for elderly people monitoring
Room monitors
Wireless Microphones
The list could go on for pages. The number of applications is mind-boggling when you consider it.
Many of these applications have little or no security. The cybersecurity professional need only access the transmission to view the data. In the cases where there is security, it is often easily broken. In the cases where the transmissions are relatively secure, often transmissions can be captured and replayed. In addition, encrypted communication can often be decrypted by capturing the transmission and deciphering the algorithm and passcode.
In our series, Software Defined Radio for Hackers, we start with the basics of setting up an inexpensive radio receiver on our computers. The advantage of using a software defined radio is;
Flexibility using multiple frequencies and signals
Using the computer to capture an analog signal and convert it to a digital signal preparing it for manipulation by digital tools such as decryption.
As we progress through this series and the associated course, we will expand into multiple frequencies and security protocols and their decryption. This will enable us to listen to and manipulate secure transmissions.
I hope this brief introduction inspires you to begin the journey with me in Software Defined Radio for Hackers and join our upcoming classes in 2024, Advanced SDR for Hackers and Satellite Hacking.