Ethernet Wiring Through Hostile Territory?

GoogleDidntFindIt asks: "I need to connect a terminal to a server which contains very sensitive information. Unfortunately, the terminal is about 200 feet away from the server. The server (which even includes a 'self destruct' device) and terminal are both in highly secure areas of the building, but the wiring will be in uncontrolled areas. What should I do to keep people from tapping or monitoring the wire?" Is there any way a conduit can be wired with an alarm which goes off when it's integrity has been violated?

"Heres a basic description of my situation:

• A new wire/fiber/cable/whatever will be run and I can use any sort of conduit I want.
• A potential attacker may have several days of undetected access to parts of the wire/conduit and may have sophisticated fiber-optic tapping equipment (which can tap a fiber without cutting it).
• I can physically inspect the conduit/cable/wire once a month.
• Ideally, the system would also notify me of a majority of successful attacks (or, even better, disconnect the line).

I'm aware of IPSEC and other encryption systems, but they aren't suitable for this project - I'm looking for systems which address physical security and protect against traffic analysis."

Comments

Conduit under pressure.

[jvhaarst]

How about putting the conduit under pressure/vacuum and shutting it down when there's a leak ?
A waterhose with a waterprrof glassfibre should do the trick.

Fibre + steel + pressure + ...

[loony]

Depends on how much you want to spend, but I'd go with a fibre connection - makes it more difficult to tap.... Put it into a steel pipe, mostly to protect the fibre. Then an thin insulating layer (the thinner and fragile the better), a layer of copper (like the shielding of a coax cable) and a final protective layer. Pressurize the steel pipe and monitor the pressure, and also put a little voltage between the steel pipe and the copper. That way the fibre is well protected against accidental, mechanical damage, and its pretty difficult to first get rid of the copper layer without it touching the steel pipe, and even more difficult to open the pipe to get to the fibre without changing the pressure... Costs you probably quite a lot, but I'll bett my lunch that unless you're up against the government, you'll be happy with it.