Covert hard Drive Noise

https://arxiv.org/abs/1608.03431

The quick an dirty: using malware and no speakers, researchers could force air-gapped computers - computers logically and physically disconnected from the Internet - to generate audio signals at "effective bit rate of 180 bits/minute (10,800 bits/hour) and a distance of up to two meters (six feet)."  The signal could be received by a computer, smartphone, etc.

That's nice, but at 180 bits/minute that works out to ~23 characters a minute, assuming ASCII encoding.  That might work for a password hack which may be all one needs.  

It might be just the push some organization will need to move to SSDs because the hack wprks by generating a specific audio frequencies by controlling the movements of the HDD's actuator arm. Digital Information can be modulated over the acoustic signals.  No actuator arm no signal.

Our security guy replied to my note about DiskFiltration by saying that a lot of this stuff was coming from last week's BlackHat conference.