Transferring data wirelessly from a computer without a wireless card sounds like a miracle, but it also presents a unique security challenge.
This game actually hacked my computer.
A security researcher has demonstrated a mechanism that allows attackers to steal data from an air-gapped computer, a computer that is completely disconnected from the network and has no wireless or wired connection to the Internet. The attack, called SATAn, involves repurposing the serial ATA (SATA) cables found in most computers as a wireless antenna.
"This is a great example of why there is a need for defense in depth," Josh Lospinoso, CEO and co-founder of Shift5, told Lifewire in an email. "Simply air-gapping computers is never enough, as ingenious attackers will come up with new techniques to defeat static defenses once they have the time and resources to do so."
For a SATAn attack to succeed, an attacker must first infect the air-gapped system with malware that converts the sensitive data on the computer into broadcastable signals.
