Device to detect electromagnetic attacks
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT, in Euskirchen, Germany, are researching how to detect ‘attacks’ from electromagnetic fields. Electromagnetic pulses can interfere with or damage electronic devices but, since electromagnetic radiation is invisible, those affected by it do not know why their machines break down or from which direction the attack comes.
The researchers set out to develop a detector which can measure very high field strengths from very short pulses yet not be destroyed or damaged itself. The result is a new measuring instrument which can determine the strength, frequency and direction of the attack.
The instrument consists of four specialised antennas which sample the environment around the device to be protected. Each of these covers a quadrant of 90° and detects all types of electromagnetic sources. A high-frequency module preconditions the signals for measurement and determines when the electromagnetic pulse started and stopped. A computer in a monitoring station connected via an optical conductor then calculates the values for the signal and presents them on a screen.
Fraunhofer researcher Michael Jöster said, “We identify the type and location of the source of the invisible attack as well as its duration as though we had a sixth sense. Those affected by the attack can use this information to mount a rapid and appropriate protective response.”
The instrument will help defend companies’ computer networks against criminals who use electromagnetic waves to bypass monitoring points, overcome alarm systems or simply cause confusion. With weapons no larger than suitcases, such as high-power microwave sources, thieves can conceivably trigger electromagnetic pulses with the push of a button, several metres away from the electronic systems targeted.
Jöster said while it is theoretically possible to completely shield individual devices from electromagnetic radiation, it would also be very expensive. The detection system is thus a suitable alternative, as “If you know what is attacking, you can also react correctly to it,” he said.
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