Analysis on Hacking the Secured Air-Gapped Computer and Possible Solution

Abstract

The world today runs on data, every minuscule task to the large one requires data. All the data is stored in the various technologies that we use. And to keep data safe, air gaps are introduced. Air gaps are a network security measure where secure computer networks are physically isolated from unsecured networks. Yet, different methods to hack the air gap have come forth. The paper analyzes the problem of hacking an air gap via screen brightness modulations. The proposed solution is a software program used to alert the user of a change in the brightness level of the screen. The concept of Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) has been used to put forth the software. Applied to an air-gapped computer, the program displays an alert box immediately, as the screen brightness changes. The solution is an easy and efficient way to counter the attack. The program can be further implemented in different testing environments and the WMI concept can be applied to various other cyber hacks.

Keywords

• air gap
• malware
• wmi
• cyber-attack
• screen brightness