Modelling Causal Factors of Unintentional Electromagnetic Emanations Compromising Information Technology Equipment Security
Information technology equipment (ITE) processing sensitive information can have its security compromised by unintentional electromagnetic radiation. Appropriately assessing likelihood of a potential compromise relies on radio frequency (RF) engineering expertise—specifically, requiring knowledge of...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/18/7064 |
| _version_ | 1797482495357222912 |
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| author | Maxwell Martin Funlade Sunmola David Lauder |
| author_facet | Maxwell Martin Funlade Sunmola David Lauder |
| author_sort | Maxwell Martin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Information technology equipment (ITE) processing sensitive information can have its security compromised by unintentional electromagnetic radiation. Appropriately assessing likelihood of a potential compromise relies on radio frequency (RF) engineering expertise—specifically, requiring knowledge of the associated causal factors and their interrelationships. Several factors that can cause unintentional electromagnetic emanations that can lead to the compromise of ITE have been found in the literature. This paper confirms the list of causal factors reported in previous work, categorizes the factors as belonging to threat, vulnerability, or impact, and develops an interpretive structural model of the vulnerability factors. A participatory modelling approach was used consisting of focus groups of RF engineers. The resulting hierarchical structural model shows the relationships between factors and illustrates their relative significance. The paper concludes that the resulting model can motivate a deeper understanding of the structural relationship of the factors that can be incorporated in the RF engineers’ assessment process. Areas of future work are suggested. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:33:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c03d2868e85945e39d5e36b52131aa73 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:33:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-c03d2868e85945e39d5e36b52131aa732023-11-23T18:53:52ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202022-09-012218706410.3390/s22187064Modelling Causal Factors of Unintentional Electromagnetic Emanations Compromising Information Technology Equipment SecurityMaxwell Martin0Funlade Sunmola1David Lauder2School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UKSchool of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UKSchool of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UKInformation technology equipment (ITE) processing sensitive information can have its security compromised by unintentional electromagnetic radiation. Appropriately assessing likelihood of a potential compromise relies on radio frequency (RF) engineering expertise—specifically, requiring knowledge of the associated causal factors and their interrelationships. Several factors that can cause unintentional electromagnetic emanations that can lead to the compromise of ITE have been found in the literature. This paper confirms the list of causal factors reported in previous work, categorizes the factors as belonging to threat, vulnerability, or impact, and develops an interpretive structural model of the vulnerability factors. A participatory modelling approach was used consisting of focus groups of RF engineers. The resulting hierarchical structural model shows the relationships between factors and illustrates their relative significance. The paper concludes that the resulting model can motivate a deeper understanding of the structural relationship of the factors that can be incorporated in the RF engineers’ assessment process. Areas of future work are suggested.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/18/7064compromising emanationsTEMPESTvulnerability likelihoodcausal factorsinterpretive structural modellingfishbone diagram |
| spellingShingle | Maxwell Martin Funlade Sunmola David Lauder Modelling Causal Factors of Unintentional Electromagnetic Emanations Compromising Information Technology Equipment Security Sensors compromising emanations TEMPEST vulnerability likelihood causal factors interpretive structural modelling fishbone diagram |
| title | Modelling Causal Factors of Unintentional Electromagnetic Emanations Compromising Information Technology Equipment Security |
| title_full | Modelling Causal Factors of Unintentional Electromagnetic Emanations Compromising Information Technology Equipment Security |
| title_fullStr | Modelling Causal Factors of Unintentional Electromagnetic Emanations Compromising Information Technology Equipment Security |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modelling Causal Factors of Unintentional Electromagnetic Emanations Compromising Information Technology Equipment Security |
| title_short | Modelling Causal Factors of Unintentional Electromagnetic Emanations Compromising Information Technology Equipment Security |
| title_sort | modelling causal factors of unintentional electromagnetic emanations compromising information technology equipment security |
| topic | compromising emanations TEMPEST vulnerability likelihood causal factors interpretive structural modelling fishbone diagram |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/18/7064 |
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