A Computational Harmonic Detection Algorithm to Detect Data Leakage Through EM Emanation

Unintended electromagnetic emissions, called EM emanations, can be exploited to recover sensitive information, posing security risks. Metal shielding, used by defense organizations to preventdata leakage, is costly and impractical for widespread use. This issue is particularly significant for Internet of Things (IoT) devices due to their sheer volume and varied deployment environments. Therefore, there is a research need for an automated detection method to monitor facilities and address data leakage promptly. To resolve this challenge, in the preliminary version of this work (Bari et al. 2023), a CNN-based detection method was proposed using HDMI cable emanations that provided ~ 95% accuracy up to 22.5 m but had limitations due to training data. In this extended version, we augment the initial study by collecting and characterizing emanation data from IoT devices, everyday electronics, and cables. We propose a harmonic-based emanation detection method by developing a computational harmonic detection algorithm. The proposed method addresses the limitations of the CNN-based method and provides ~ 100% accuracy not only for HDMI emanation (compared to ~ 95% in the earlier CNN method) but also for all other tested devices and cables. Finally, it has also been tested in different environments to prove its efficacy in practical scenarios.