Security in Wireless Keyboards

[iago]

http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/484414/30/0/threaded

Essentially, Microsoft and Logitech's 27mhz wireless keyboards can be read up to 10m away without specialized equipment. It wouldn't surprised me if people at banks or other places handling sensitive data used those without even realizing the potential impact!

[Warrior]

Haha wow I never even considered that as an attack vector, it's pretty cool.

[Joe]

I'm not going to say that this is safe, but I don't think I've ever seen a wireless keyboard in a bank. Regardless, that's pretty scary. In the right environment, 10 meters is quite a distance.

[iago]

Have you actually seen an employee's keyboard in the bank? At every bank I've been to, they're in a tray or under the desk.

In any case, some employees that don't like their keyboards will bring in their own, and there's no guarantee which type of insecure ones they bring.

[MyndFyre]

Have you actually seen an employee's keyboard in the bank? At every bank I've been to, they're in a tray or under the desk.

In any case, some employees that don't like their keyboards will bring in their own, and there's no guarantee which type of insecure ones they bring.

You do realize that there have been trays in desks for MUCH longer than there have been wireless keyboards, right?

Incidentally, my wireless keyboard at home is Bluetooth and it syncs up with my computer over a secure channel.  :)

[iago]

You do realize that there have been trays in desks for MUCH longer than there have been wireless keyboards, right?

Wtf are you talking about, they didn't invent trays till wireless!!!!

But seriously, I was responding to Joe who said that he never saw a wireless keyboard in a bank, but I'd be surprised if he saw any keyboard in a bank well enough to identify it's wireless capabilities, that's all.

[MyndFyre]

Ah, that makes more sense. :)

[Blaze]

My friend works in a TD Bank, and nothing there is wireless he says.  :P

[Joe]

Yeah, a few banks I've gone to have keyboards on the counter, next to the monitor.

EDIT -
It'd be funny to see a lawsuit over someone sniffing information from a wireless keyboard brought to work by an employee.