Project Code-name “Quantum” gives the NSA the ability to remotely access computers disconnected from the internet from up to 8-miles away.
If you’re tech-savvy enough to be reading this blog, you should at least have an intuitive understanding that computers connected to the internet are vulnerable to remote access and attack. Less intuitive is that computers completely disconnected from the internet can also be remotely accessed. The New York Times recently released an article detailing Project Quantum, which gives the NSA the ability to remotely access a computer from up to 8-miles away. Initial estimates puts the NSA’s reach with this program at more than 100,000 computers.
How it Works
The NSA needs to first physically embed circuitry onto the computer. It’s been revealed the NSA has in the past intercepted computer shipments and embedded the circuitry inside the computer itself. Another technique is to hide the circuitry inside a USB plug for a device that will eventually be connected to the computer. These circuits, when powered, can transmit data through a covert radio frequency to a mobile receiving station. The receiving station can fit inside a regular briefcase, and must be within 8-miles of the compromised computer. The receiving station then transmits the data back to the NSA.
No Domestic Use Detected so far
So far, there is no evidence that the NSA has used these intercept programs domestically; the intended targets are all high-value international intelligence figures. There’s little reason to doubt this claim, because the expense and effort required to physically bug an individual computer is immense.
The takeaway
Even if you think yourself important enough to warrant personal surveillance from the NSA, it’s unlikely you would have the technical expertise required to identify and remove these hidden circuits. While we lack specifics about the exact transmission method, we know it to be within the radio spectrum, so it is reasonable to assume that a computer placed in a fully electromagnetically shielded room might be protected from this particular method. Certainly I do not recommend disconnecting your devices from the internet and wrapping your house in aluminum foil; rather, just take this post as a reminder of the NSA’s incredible technological reach.