TEMPEST Rooms

TEMPEST Shielded Rooms RFaraday develops engineered TEMPEST shielded rooms for environments where sensitive information-processing equipment requires controlled electromagnetic emissions and protected communication conditions.

TEMPEST-related protection addresses the risk that unintended electromagnetic emanations from electronic equipment could be intercepted and potentially used to reconstruct sensitive information. A properly engineered shielded environment can form an important part of an organization's electromagnetic security strategy.

What Is TEMPEST? TEMPEST is a term associated with the protection of sensitive information from compromising electromagnetic emanations generated by electronic and information-processing equipment.

Computers, displays, communication equipment and other electronic systems can produce unintended electromagnetic emissions. In sensitive environments, controlling these emissions can be an important part of protecting information and reducing the risk of electromagnetic compromise.

TEMPEST RF Shielding RF shielding provides a physical barrier designed to control electromagnetic energy crossing the protected boundary.

For TEMPEST-related applications, the shielding concept must consider the complete room rather than the wall construction alone. Doors, ventilation, power, data connections, cable penetrations and other interfaces can all influence the integrity of the protected environment.

Complete TEMPEST Shielding System RFaraday approaches TEMPEST shielding as an integrated electromagnetic security system.

Depending on the project requirements, the protected environment can incorporate:

RF shielded walls, ceilings and floors TEMPEST-rated or project-specific shielded doors RF shielded windows and viewing interfaces EMI / EMC power filters Signal and data filtering Shielded cable penetrations Honeycomb and waveguide ventilation Filtered service interfaces Grounding and bonding provisions Secure communication interfaces TEMPEST Secure Rooms TEMPEST shielding may form part of secure rooms used for sensitive information processing, protected communications, government operations, defense activities and other high-security applications.

RFaraday develops the physical electromagnetic shielding infrastructure around the applicable security requirements and the intended operational use of the room.

Secure Information Processing Environments TEMPEST-related shielding can be considered for environments containing information-processing systems such as computers, displays, communication equipment, network infrastructure and other sensitive electronic systems.

The objective is to create a controlled electromagnetic environment in which the required equipment can operate while the applicable electromagnetic security requirements are addressed.

Power, Data & Communication Protection A shielded room can be compromised by connections that cross the electromagnetic boundary without appropriate protection.

For this reason, RFaraday considers power, data and communication interfaces as integral elements of the shielding system.

Depending on the project, solutions may include:

Power line EMI filters Signal line filters Data filtering Shielded cable entries Waveguide penetrations Fiber optic interfaces Controlled communication connections Custom equipment interfaces TEMPEST Shielded Doors The access door is a critical part of any shielded enclosure. RFaraday can integrate RF shielded doors into TEMPEST environments according to the room configuration and project requirements.

Door construction, sealing, access control and repeated operation are considered as part of the overall electromagnetic shielding system.

Ventilation & HVAC Interfaces Ventilation and HVAC systems require openings through the shielding boundary. These openings must be engineered so that required airflow can be provided while maintaining the intended electromagnetic protection.

RFaraday can integrate shielded ventilation and waveguide-based interfaces according to the project requirements.

TEMPEST & High-Security Facilities TEMPEST-related shielding may be incorporated into a variety of high-security environments, including:

Government facilities Defense facilities Intelligence and security environments Secure communication rooms High-security data centers Protected information-processing rooms Military research facilities Secure meeting environments Critical infrastructure TEMPEST, SCIF & Secure Facilities TEMPEST protection and SCIF requirements are related to security but are not interchangeable concepts.

A SCIF is a specific type of controlled facility with requirements defined by the applicable authority. TEMPEST considerations may form one element of the security infrastructure depending on the facility and its requirements.

RFaraday can develop the electromagnetic shielding scope around the applicable project requirements without assuming a specific security accreditation or classification.

Custom TEMPEST Shielded Rooms Every secure environment has different requirements. Room dimensions, equipment configuration, power requirements, communication systems, access requirements and applicable security procedures can all influence the shielding design.

RFaraday develops project-specific TEMPEST shielding solutions rather than applying a single configuration to every facility.

New Facilities & Existing Room Upgrades TEMPEST shielding can be incorporated into new construction projects or developed as part of an upgrade to an existing room.

RFaraday can coordinate shielding improvements, shielded doors, filtered power and signal interfaces, ventilation modifications and other electromagnetic protection requirements according to the project scope.

Engineering, Installation & Integration RFaraday can support the shielding scope from initial requirements and engineering through design coordination, manufacturing, installation and verification.

This integrated approach allows the electromagnetic shielding system to be coordinated with the architectural, electrical, mechanical and operational requirements of the protected facility.

Testing & Verification TEMPEST-related requirements should be verified according to the applicable security requirements, standards and agreed testing methodology.

Where testing and verification are included within the project scope, RFaraday coordinates the required technical process to support evaluation of the completed shielding environment.

Engineered Electromagnetic Security TEMPEST protection requires attention to the complete electromagnetic boundary. Shielding materials, doors, filters, ventilation, penetrations and service interfaces must be considered together.

RFaraday combines these elements into custom-engineered TEMPEST shielding environments designed around the specific requirements of each project.

Discuss Your TEMPEST Project Planning a TEMPEST shielded room, secure information-processing environment or protected communication facility?

Contact RFaraday to discuss your requirements and develop an engineered TEMPEST and RF shielding solution for your project.