This is a project done in collaboration of the Defcon Toronto Electromechanical Tribe.

Background

Almost all civilian electronic devices are vulnerable to Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) and other radiation-based attacks. These attacks work by creating powerful electromagnetic waves that penetrate deep into an electronic system, surging or shorting the entire circuit, and destroying its various components, effectively destroying the device. In theory, a belligerent could use EMP to wreck havoc on a civilian population, cutting them off from telecommunication systems and the powergrid more broadly.

EMP is known to have been weaponized in the following ways:
- The byproduct of a nuclear explosion produces EMP
- Small-scale improvised EMP devices
- Military-grade weapon systems designed to blast large areas with EMP, like the US military's CHAMP (Counter-electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project) research program

EMP may also occur naturally, usually as a result of a geomagnetic solar storm, which was the case in the 1859 Carrington Event.

Solutions

There are efforts taking place in industry to harden key points in the power grid and telecommunications infrastructure, like EMP-hardened power plants, transformer stations, data centers, and base stations.

EMP hardening is nothing new, and actually quite trivial to accomplish -- you merely place your electronic device in a Faraday cage. More sophisticated forms of EMP hardening happen at the component level, and is widely used in aerospace and the military applications, which allow devices to remain in active use even under an active EMP or radiation threat. However, cheap, effective solutions for civilians do not exist -- all of these solutions consist of stowing away your device inside of a bag that acts like a Faraday cage, meaning you can't use it while the EMP threat is present.

The EMP Hardened Raspberry Pi

In this project, we will be creating a cheap but effective solution for an EMP hardened Raspberry Pi, in addition to peripheries like a display and a keyboard. We want this Pi to be able to operate under an active EMP threat.

I'm hoping this research could lead to a deeper understanding of EMP and radiation attacks, and help us develop more robust EMP-hardened solutions, like accessories for smartphones, laptops, drones, or techniques to mod these devices.