Help Irongeek.com pay for bandwidth and research equipment:
EMP, yeah you know me... Hack3rcon 3 (Hacking Illustrated Series InfoSec Tutorial Videos)
EMP, yeah you know me...
Hack3rcon 3
While I'm not an expert, I figured it would be an
interesting idea to research and report on considering the theme of the
conference. I plan to cover the basics of electronics, what an EMP is (and why
some equipment gets fried), ideas for scrounging parts and other information to
keep tech functional. I also plan to lightly cover useful tech to learn for a
situation where society breaks down.
Adrian Crenshaw
Adrian Crenshaw has worked in the IT industry for the last fifteen years. He
runs the information security website Irongeek.com, which specializes in videos
and articles that illustrate how to use various pen-testing and security tools.
He did the cert chase for awhile (MCSE NT 4, CNE, A+, Network+. i-Net+) but
stopped once he had to start paying for the tests himself. He's currently
working on a Masters in Security Informatics, and is interested in obtaining a
network security/research/teaching job in academia (though he's beginning to
think that the corporate world has a better grasp on ethics/academic freedom).
He is also one of the co-founders of Derbycon.
EMP, Yeah You Know Me!
Adrian Crenshaw
Naughty by Nuke!
(With apologies to Naughty by Nature)
About Adrian
I run Irongeek.com
I have an interest in InfoSec education
I dont know everything - Im just a geek with time on my hands
Im an (Ir)regular on the InfoSec Daily Podcast: http://isdpodcast.com
Sr. Information Security Engineer at a Fortune 1000
Co-Founder of Derbycon
http://www.derbycon.com/
What is EMP
EMP = Electromagnetic Pulse
A powerful burst of radio waves cause by quickly changing electromagnetic fields
Has the effect of inducing currents into conductors and can burn them up or cause interference
Early British term was Radioflash
Why this subject
I dont consider myself a prepper or survivalist (but I did collect a lot of Paladin Press books as a kid)
I like the smell of fried electronics (as long as they aint mine)
Lots of scare monger videos, justified or not, but little with the science behind EMP
It fit the theme!
EMP: Entertaining Misinformed People
Signal to Noise is high on this subject
Many people will speak authoritatively, but not know the actual fact
Tried searching for site:mil and site:gov
Limited practical testing seems to have been done
Radio Waves do weird things
When/where was the testing done
Audience
Some stuff is classified
Some stuff aims toward the non technical
Im not an expert either, so take all this with a huge grain of salt
Examples
Spark Gap
Ever run a vacuum/electric motor while watching an analog TV
Sparks cause a broad band of radio waves to propagate, which can cause interference.
Inducing current
Changing magnetic fields cause current in a conductor
Current in a conductor cause a magnetic field
Near-Field and Far-Fields
Distance 1/(d^3) vs. 1/(d^2)
Self Propagating EM Wave
Bit Of History
Apparently EMP was expected by Enrico Fermi, and equipment during the Trinity test (July 16, 1945) was shielded in anticipation of it
Apparently some recording were lost
due to spurious pickup
Greater interest came about after
Starfish Prime
Starfish Prime
High altitude test of a nuclear weapon on July 9, 1962
1.4 megaton W49 thermonuclear
warhead detonated 250mi (400km)
above a point about 19 miles
southwest of Johnston Island in the
Pacific Ocean
EMP effect was greater than
anticipated
Starfish Prime EMP Effects
Drove instruments off the scale, presumably as expectations of the effect was lower
Damaged electrical systems 898 miles away in Hawaii
300 street lights blown
Telephone microwave link damaged
Set off burglar alarms
Further tests in the Operation Fishbowl series gave more data on EMPs effects
EMP: Multiple Pulse in Three Parts
E1 Very short, powerful burst that induce high currents in conductors.
E2 Comes shortly after E1. Somewhat akin to the EM effects of a lightning strike. Many systems may already be prepared, but precursor damage from E1 may soften them up.
E3 Longer, slower pulse that can last many seconds caused by the Earths magnetic field being pushed out of the way. Can induce current in long conductors and cause damage to power systems.
Volts per Meter
Volts per Meter V/m Voltage across a one Meter conductor as the magnetic field sweeps across it.
EMP: 100,000 V/m Ground Burst
Radar: 200 V/m
Radio Communications: 10 V/m
Metropolitan Noise: 0.1 V/m
Range from Ground Zero for Surface Burst
If you are too close, you are already having a bad day!
Burst location
Surface/Near Surface Burst Ground level
EMP is an issue, but other effects may take precedence
Geography limits area
Air density limit range
High Altitude above 30km
20km to 40km is where we get the Compton effect
Can hit a larger area
Saturation at about 50,000V/m
500km burst could cover continental United State
Air Burst - 100-1000m, maybe below 30km
Not as interesting for EMP*
More Acronym (and Electron) Soup
SREMP = Source Region EMP (low/surface burst)
HEMP = High-altitude EMP
MHD-EMP = Magnetohydrodynamic EMP
Caused by shifting of Earths magnetic field
SGEMP = System Generated EMP
Caused by Gamma/X-Rays hitting the outside of a satellite/space craft
NNEP = Non-Nuclear EMP
+Ground Burst
Airburst
Chain of events E1/E2: HEMP
Chain of Events E3
Spectrum
Lots of interference
Earths Magnetic Lines
Latitude and Altitude make a big difference
EMP Production Factors
Altitude
Yield and Construction
Distance from detonation
Geography
Magnetic Field Strength
Prompt Gamma Yield More Important Than Total Yield
0.1150.5% of nukes energy is Prompt Gamma Yield
Starfish Prime was 1.4MT, but 0.1% PGY, so 1.4Kt for EMP effect
500Kt Nuke optimized for 0.5% PGY would give 2.5Kt for EMP effect
Pre-ionization in thermonuclear bombs may cause less EMP effects to take place than more primitive fission weapons
EMP Horseshoe Effect
Entry Points
Direct in through the holes
Induced
Antennas
Satellite Dishes
Power Lines
Network Cables
Telephone Wire
Other Cables
Plumbing
Damage Types
Functional Damage Over load, hit break down voltage, heat up and fry! Blue smoke is gone, its dead Jim!
Operational Damage Circuit upset for transient current. Circuit breaker blown, or circuit logic disturbed.
Super EMP Nuke
Can you optimize a nuclear bomb to have more of an EMP effect
Reduce ionization from heat
Make case and explosive gamma transparent
Produce as much gamma as quick as possible
Non Nuclear EMP (NNEMP)
What about just the EMP, without the other nasty nuke effects
Effect electrical systems, but not buildings/roads
Force Multiplier from loss of enemy communications
Less (immediate) deaths = less political ramifications
Marx Generator
Charge capacitors in parallel, discharge in series
Explosively Pumped Flux Compression Generator
EPFCG uses a magnetic field with conventional explosives (many configurations)
Below is a Helical generator
High-Energy Radio Frequency weapons (HERF)
Ever put a CD in the Microwave
Can fry/disrupt equipment
Can effect humans in negative ways
Some people make homemade versions from old Microwave ovens magnetron, wave guide, and other parts
The Vircator
VIRtual CAthode oscillaTOR
Geomagnetic Storm
Tied with space weather like sunspot and solar flares and Coronal mass ejection
Messes with Earths magnetic field
More akin to the effect of E3
Largest recorded was September 1 2, 1859, really screwing with the telegraph system
March 1989 Geomagnetic Storm had its way with Hydro-Quιbec's power grid
Type of Tech
Things can be unpredictable
Solid State, fall down go boom, let magic blue smoke out (maybe)
Thermionic technology (Vacuum Tubes) more resilient but not perfect. Also, try building a modern computer from them. There are also power concerns.
Fiber optic: No conduct mean no fry
Shorter conductors are better
Fry Chart
Surge Protection
Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV)
Is it fast enough
E1 peaks at ~5ns
Can signal propagate other ways
Electromagnetic arresting devices
Power Sources
Im soooo in need of better test data
Tradition Fossil Fuel Generators
Hydro Electric
SCADA Systems
Transformers
Solar
Wind
Voltage regulation circuits
Charging components
Shielding
Faraday Cage
Fiber Optic Cable Preferred
What about power lines in
Water
Any holes
Propagation direction
Grounded
For slow moving magnetic
fields (<100kHz) look into
Permalloy or Mu-metal
Hypothetical computer room
Improvised Faraday Cage
Microwave
File Cabinets
Trashcans
Ammo Boxes
Metal Mailbox
Foil Wrapped Containers
Anti-Static Bag
Mesh with holes less than
1/10 diameter of wavelength
to be blocked (NSWAG)
EMP Tips and Guidance
Unplug gear
Disconnect antennas
Have spares
Use voltage clipping devices
Avoid large conductor loops
Shielded conduit and cables
Bury lines (though I have heard mixed opinions)
Resources
EMP Commission Report (April 2008)
http://www.empcommission.org/reports.php
The Effects of Nuclear Weapons Chapter 11 (Compiled and edited by Samuel Glasstone and Philip J. Dolan)
http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/www/effects/eonw_11.pdf
FEMA 128-Attack Environment Manual-Chapter 4
http://www.lrc.fema.gov/downloads/attack_env_4.pdf
Wikipedia EMP Article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse
Electromagnetic Pulse Threats in 2010 by Colin R. Miller, Major, USAF
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/cst/bugs_ch12.pdf
The Electromagnetic Bomb - a Weapon of Electrical Mass Destruction Carlo Kopp
http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/cc/apjemp.html
The Early-Time (E1) High-Altitude
Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and Its Impact on the U.S. Power Grid by Edward Savage, James Gilbert, and William Radasky
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/ees/etsd/pes/pubs/ferc_Meta-R-320.pdf
Future Science EMP Page
http://www.futurescience.com/emp.html
Printable version of this article