[Note 06/18/26: In the “heard-and-overheard” category this afternoon, the Albany block coordinator muttering to one of her cohort, “Get her out of here!”, as well as the even response of a male voice, “We’ll try again.” That probably means they’ll be giving it another go in the early morning hours on Friday. That makes sense. Thursday nights are often a big night for the mobbers, kind of like a “TGIF.” Perhaps some of those who investigate criminal rings should pay them a visit during their libations. Maybe then I’ll be able to get some sleep.]
Proximity creates vectors for physical attack on computing devices. This is well understood by computer security analysts. Proximity also creates opportunities for mobbers to not only create conductive coupling and structure-borne sound in the homes of those they victimize, but to use novel methods to make their victims think their homes are haunted or to at least harass them round the clock. The “clearing by smearing” potential goes without saying.
In recent months I’ve talked about line-of-sight attacks and sneak attacks by devices that display convergence—for example, those LED torch lights just over the fence that are Bluetooth enabled (as if one interference-prone technology isn’t enough). I’ve been aware that my neighbors’ “creative” use of line-of-sight technologies and device convergence enlarges the attack surface of my home and enables attacks by signal, even though I have pared down my own use of devices and protocol to the point of simplicity. But just when I think things can’t get any worse, I find things are worse than I thought—much worse. This was the case a few months back when in the pitch black dawn I heard a mobber proclaim, “The floor is vibrating!” The mobbing chatter went quiet and then, moments later, there was the sound of my roommate’s door popping open and his footsteps as he moved into the kitchen.
It’s a busy week for me. As I increasingly do, I work multiple avenues at one time in hopes that one of them will force an end to this situation. This leaves me little time to write here, but those with some understanding of microcontrollers will understand the implications of this kind of monitoring for privacy, among other things. Maybe someone will even understand the imperative for investigators to apprehend and interview those who mob, to reverse-engineer the mobbing platform down to the silicon.
More when I can.
