A Light Bulb Can Be Hacked To Listen To Conversations

Lights Out

Forget complicated passwords or top-of-the-line security systems: Scientists have found that a common lightbulb can be “hacked” to hear confidential conversations held in a room 80 feet away, the Evening Standard reported.

In a recent study, they wrote that a new technique known as Lamphone can pick up small vibrations in a lightbulb exposed to soundwaves.

All a person needs to eavesdrop on a conversation is a laptop and a telescope connected to a remote electro-optical sensor – all which can be easily purchased.

In their experiment, the researchers tested the method by placing the telescope’s eyepiece in front of the sensor, which was connected to a laptop to process the files into audible sound.

The eavesdropper was able to extract two songs and a spoken sentence being played inside a room that was 80 feet away, where a 12-watt bulb was hanging.

“We show that an electro-optical sensor that outputs information at a lower resolution is sufficient to recover sound,” said co-author Ben Nassi.

Nassi’s team said that spies only need to have a clear sight of a hanging bulb. Even so, they haven’t yet determined if the method works with desk lamps or wall-mounted lighting.

While it’s a serious cause for concern for those handling sensitive data, at least simply turning off the light or closing the blinds will do the trick – for now.