CDR: Re: BSA deploys imaginary pirate software detector vans

[Bill Stewart]

At 02:32 PM 11/13/00 -0800, Tib wrote:

>> "Our suggestion is that software packages include in their screen layout
a few 
>> lines with a signal that encodes the license serial number plus a random
value 
>> . . . a "software detector van" can be used to patrol business districts
and 
>> other areas where software piracy is suspected. If the van receives twenty 
>> signals from the same copy of a software from a company that has only
licensed 
>> five copies, then probable cause for a search warrant has been
established." 
>> p.13
>
>Hope I'm not being totally naive about the capability of computer
hardware, but
>I sure don't recall my PC (or any that I have ever had or can think of
>seeing) having short range broadcasting capabilities. How would this be
>theorheticly possible (despite the utter nonsense that the rumor must be) to
>accomplish, if at all?

You don't need a specific radio broadcaster in your PC.
Lots of things leak electrically and radiate signals,
some useful and easy to decode.  Just because it's not useful to YOU
doesn't mean it's not useful to an eavesdropper.
Video cards, monitors and keyboards are among the loudest.
Laptop CRT screens are rumored to be much quieter, but it's not so,
at least for most laptops which have an unshielded VGA plug on them
so you can plug in a real monitor.
				Thanks! 
					Bill
Bill Stewart, bill.stewart at pobox.com
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