NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Dell Notebook Forums › Dell Home (Inspiron, XPS, Studio) › My professor that thinks a computer can be hacked through the power cable. True?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

My professor that thinks a computer can be hacked through the power cable. True?

post #1 of 26
4/30/07 at 10:10am
Thread Starter 
I am in class and my professor said that a computer can be hacked through the power cable directly connected to the wall. Even without a modem or anything else connect. He thinks by just using the power cable someone can hack your computer. Also, he said that because you computer hold slight power that your computer can even be hacked if EVERYTHING is unplugged.

To me this all seems near impossible. I know that the power company in Cincinnati offer something called Current by broadband, BUT you plug a small modem (about the size of a cell phone charge) into the power outlet and then you get your Internet through the power lines. Even with this you use a modem. I don't see how it could be possible with just the power cord. Any opinions or proof that I can show him if this is not true. Thank you in advance.

Chad
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 26
4/30/07 at 10:13am
hmmmm..........I highly doubt your prof is right. What class is it? Is he someone who would/should know about these sorts of things?
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 26
4/30/07 at 10:20am
No, this is bunk.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 26
4/30/07 at 10:22am
Thread Starter 
Its PC Tech but he says a good amount of controversial things.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 26
4/30/07 at 10:23am
*sniffs*
I smell...Balogna.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 26
4/30/07 at 10:24am
That reminds me of the guy I was arguing with the other day that swore all cars since 2001 are fiber optic based & have no "hard wiring"...He wanted me to buy his $1,100 fiber optic speakers...lol

Anyways, the answer to this is a simple...NO.... It is not possible...you cannot hack a computer through the power cable...

Now you can use the broadband over power lines, but that system stil connects to a modem & plugs into your computer just like a cable modem or DSL system does.

As far as hacking with everything unplugged...well you know, the next time I am sitting there with my machine unplugged & the few capacitors & one 3.3v CMOS battery power up my computer & activate my HDD I will be calling the ghost busters



..I swear how do these people get a degree to teach this bullshit
...If you are in college I would walk right own to the admin office and ask for your money back
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 26
4/30/07 at 10:28am
Offer plug your laptop into a plug in class, disable all your network devices and have him hack your system through the power cord.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 26
4/30/07 at 10:38am
Ask him to let you have some of what he is smoking
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 26
4/30/07 at 11:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dougadamsfan
Offer plug your laptop into a plug in class, disable all your network devices and have him hack your system through the power cord.
What is the chance he would have a working laptop after the teacher got done with it?
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 26
4/30/07 at 11:34am
Is your Prof from the 70's lol

Burnt a few too many brain cells
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 26
4/30/07 at 12:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cstradling24
Its PC Tech but he says a good amount of controversial things.
What "college" has hired this clown?
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 26
4/30/07 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
Well its nice to see I am not the one smoking but he is a good guy, and a fun teacher, like I said there are just a few things he says that I find questianable.

Sol, the fact that the HDD would need power is a good point to bring up to him.

I am looking for facts mroe or less not "hes an idiot" kind of comments
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 26
4/30/07 at 12:34pm
Facts? I think the burden of proof lies on him. Just ask him how that would happen. Compare to email viruses, spyware or worms based on network service vulnerability. What would be the attack entry point, precisely?
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 26
4/30/07 at 1:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cstradling24
Well its nice to see I am not the one smoking but he is a good guy, and a fun teacher, like I said there are just a few things he says that I find questianable.

Sol, the fact that the HDD would need power is a good point to bring up to him.

I am looking for facts mroe or less not "hes an idiot" kind of comments


Ok cst, I give ya one way a computer can be hacked without a connection to the Network.

It is possible to pick up the RF and EMI emmissions from a Computer. and it is further possible that the AC Cord and power supply could act like an antenna of sorts to improve the chances of picking up the emmissions from the computer.

But the computer has to be powered on.

This is the reason when we did work that was classified, all the equipment was kept inside a large Shielded enclosure so that no EMI or RFI emmisions could be picked up by any prying Spies.

So in a way your Prof is correct.

Cheers
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 26
4/30/07 at 1:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cstradling24
I am looking for facts mroe or less not "hes an idiot" kind of comments
I am sorry, but the massive amount of ignorance required to come up with stuff like that completely disqualifies the person who spreads this nonsense. Now, if this was an English teacher, or somebody educating you on the literature of ancient Greece, that would be another matter. But "PC Tech"? That's outrageous.
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 26
4/30/07 at 1:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dave-p
It is possible to pick up the RF and EMI emmissions from a Computer.
While this is correct, it is an entirely different scenarion from what this guy was talking about. Specifically, this does not by itself provide any entry point to the system. Otherwise, having worked in this area myself, I won't comment any further...
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 26
4/30/07 at 2:06pm
Department of Energy/Defense paranoia (not that it's a bad thing) and security measures is one thing, but this whack-job professor is talking about every day hackers breaking into systems via the AC Power cable. That's just not probable. I think a transfer to a different school is in order. Not all instructors teaching these types of classes are this stupid.

But, you know the old addage..."Those who can't, teach."
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 26
4/30/07 at 4:51pm
He must have l33t h4x0r skills, better pop on the tin foil hat before he taps into your brain. This is a [bad] joke right?
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 26
4/30/07 at 5:38pm
Remember kids, stay away from LSD.
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 26
4/30/07 at 6:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by K9387
This is a [bad] joke right?
No, unfortunately this is not a joke. This is at ITT-Tech, though, mind you, so it's not a real college we are talking about here...
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Dell Notebook Forums › Dell Home (Inspiron, XPS, Studio) › My professor that thinks a computer can be hacked through the power cable. True?