Malware Could Send Data Stolen Without Internet!!!

Malware in Indonesian known as "malware" (English: malware, derived from the words malicious and software lakuran) is a software created to infiltrate or damage a computer system, server or computer network without permission (informed consent) from the owner. The expression is a general term used by computer experts to interpret a wide variety of software or software code that disrupt or disturb the performance of the computer.

Software is considered malware based on the perceived intent of the creator rather than based on certain characteristics. Malware includes computer viruses, computer worms, Trojan horse (Trojan horse), most of the root-kit (rootkit), the surveillance (spyware), the ads (adware) that takjujur, malicious software (crimeware) and other software that malicious and unwanted.

During this malicious code or malware is always in need of some sort of digital medium to be able to steal data from one device to be forwarded to another device, typically through a computer network and the Internet.

Then, if the computer is not connected to the network can be called "sterile" of the possibility of data theft?

Apparently not well. A group of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute of Communications, Germany, proves that in fact malware can also steal data from a computer without the need of sound waves through a data connection.

As reported by Ars Technica, the researchers developed a prototype of malware that communicate and transmit data via a microphone and speakers. The trick is to send a high-frequency signal from the infected computer to another computer. 

Data transfer can only be done with a very low speed, which is 20 bits per second, but it was enough to send vital information quickly sort passwords. 

Moreover the range of shipping methods through the sound is quite extensive, reaching 65 feet or 20 meters. The distance can be extended to create a network of infected computers to relay the sound signals.

Malware is proved that the isolation of the internet and computer networks could no longer deemed sufficient to secure the device. "The concept of network-based voice signals make conventional security methods become useless because it usually does not consider the communication of audio," wrote a team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute in a report published in the Journal of Communications.

The team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute itself does not really make the malware, but only to prove the concept to raise awareness about the possibility of future attacks and how to combat that. One of the "antidote" suggested is to use audio filters that block high-frequency sound and audio analyzer.

Author: Joseph Oik 

Source: ArsTechnica, quoted from: http://tekno.kompas.com/, Friday, December 6, 2013, 8:23 pm.