Why YOU Should Study Software Defined Radio (Signals Intelligence) for Hackers!

[Cartographer]

Hacking radio signals (RF) IS the leading edge of cybersecurity!













So many applications in our modern life use radio frequency elements that it is hard to list them all. For instance, consider the following list:

• Automobile and vehicle access and monitoring
  
  
• Mouse and keyboards
  
  
• Cellphone Signals
  
  
• Remote control
  
  
• Telemetry
  
  
• Satellite transmissions
  
  
• Police and military encrypted communication
  
  
• Small-range wireless network
  
  
• Wireless meter reading
  
  
• Access control systems
  
  
• Drone control and monitoring
  
  
• Wireless home security systems
  
  
• Area paging
  
  
• Industrial data acquisition system
  
  
• Radio tags reading
  
  
• RF contactless smart cards
  
  
• Wireless data terminals
  
  
• Wireless fire protection systems
  
  
• Biological signal acquisition
  
  
• Hydrological and meteorological monitoring
  
  
• Robot remote control
  
  
• Wireless data transmissions
  
  
• Digital video/audio transmission
  
  
• Digital home automation, such as remote light/switch
  
  
• Industrial remote control, telemetry and remote sensing
  
  
• Alarm systems and wireless transmission for various types of low-rate digital signal
  
  
• Remote control for various types of household appliances and electronics projects
  
  
• Many other applications field related to RF wireless controlling
  
  
• Mobile web server for elderly people monitoring
  
  
• Room monitors
  
  
• Wireless Microphones
  
  
• EV Charging Stations
  

The list could go on for pages. The number of applications is mind-boggling when you consider it.













Many of these applications have little or no security. The cybersecurity professional need only access the transmission to view the data. In the cases where there is security, it is often easily broken. In the cases where the transmissions are relatively secure, often transmissions can be captured and replayed. In addition, encrypted communication can often be decrypted by capturing the transmission and deciphering the algorithm and passcode.




One of the little understood applications of SDR is the capability to build a private and secure cellular phone system. This can have many applications is many industries that require strong security and confidentiality.













In our series, Software Defined Radio for Hackers, we start with the basics of setting up an inexpensive radio receiver on our computers.




The advantage of using a software defined radio is;

1. Flexibility using multiple frequencies and signals
   
   
2. Using the computer to capture an analog signal and convert it to a digital signal preparing it for manipulation by digital tools such as decoding and decryption.
   
   
   
   

As we progress through this series and the associated course, we will expand into multiple frequencies and security protocols and their decryption. This will enable us to listen to and manipulate secure transmissions.




I hope this brief introduction inspires you to begin the journey with me in Software Defined Radio for Hackers and join our upcoming classes in 2025, Advanced SDR for Hackers, SDR for Cellular Networks, and Satellite Hacking.