Power line communication and compromising radiated emission

This contribution presents a preliminary investigation on the possibility of eavesdropping by exploiting the electromagnetic field radiated in the vicinity of a power line communication network. This kind of problem is usually known in the EMC area under the codename TEMPEST. EM field measurements were carried out in a laboratory environment, both inside and outside the building and the main statistical characteristics of the compromising channel are presented. A software tool simulating a PLC communication has been developed and used to draw a preliminary conclusion on whether the radiated emissions can be exploited or not.