RE: Fiber optic vampire taps

From: James Lee Gromoll (jgromoll@hotmail.com)
Date: 12/27/02

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    From: "James Lee Gromoll" <jgromoll@hotmail.com>
To: security-basics@securityfocus.com
Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 11:01:41 -0800

    Hi All,

    I am not so sure you need to break the sheath. It is very easy to
    demonstrate light emitting from a fiber optic zip cord with a laser source.
    A simple hard bend and a high end detector might do the trick; However, if
    you really are concerned the best way to figure out if you are tapped in
    some manner is to shoot your fiber plant with an OTDR. A hard bend in the
    line or even an really good splice shows up as what is called a reflective
    event on the OTDR. Unless your cable is broken you should see a fairly
    linear dropoff on the OTDR until the termination of the line at the other
    building. If you have a bend you will see a small spike followed by a
    noticible drop in the signal strength. If someone has on the other hand put
    in a laser pump I am not certain, but I suspect you will see a sharp rise in
    signal strength. You can measure the distance on the trace and if it is less
    than the distance between your building entrance points well, "Houston we
    have a problem."

    On another note. Your installers should have been able to tell you this
    also. For the real experts on Fiber get in contact with the Light Brigade.
    These guys are the avowed experts in fiber installation, and what you are
    talking about relates strongly to installation. As for whether or not it can
    be tapped, there is a way to sample the light, so someone with the will
    could do it.

    >From: ktyler@nautilus-ins.com
    >To: "Hornat, Charles" <Charles_Hornat@standardandpoors.com>
    >CC: security-basics@securityfocus.com
    >Subject: RE: Fiber optic vampire taps
    >Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 12:23:03 -0700
    >
    >
    >
    > In fact, a $1,200 "clip" can be used to tap into fiber-optics to steal
    >or inject data into a
    > system, Cohen said
    >
    >
    > Don't believe everything you read. I highly doubt that you can buy or
    >even make a device that
    > simply "clips" on to a fiber cable to tap data.
    >
    >
    > Keith
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > "Hornat, Charles"
    > <Charles_Hornat@standardan To:
    ><security-basics@securityfocus.com>
    > dpoors.com> cc:
    > Subject: RE:
    >Fiber optic vampire taps
    > 12/24/2002 07:05 AM
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >This is not true. The US Navy did this to the Russians a few years
    >back.
    >
    >http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2002/07/29/newscolumn2.h
    >tml
    >
    >I don't recall what this method was called back then though, it wasn't
    >"clips".
    >
    >Charles
    >
    >
    >
    >-----Original Message-----
    >From: Alvey Robert W KPWA [mailto:AlveyRW@kpt.nuwc.navy.mil]
    >Sent: Monday, December 23, 2002 5:48 PM
    >To: 'nick@systemsecuritysolutions.com';
    >security-basics@securityfocus.com
    >Subject: RE: Fiber optic vampire taps
    >
    >In order to tap into a fiber line you have to break the sheath. The
    >signal
    >is entirely optic, if you don't break the sheath you can't even see the
    >signal. However, even if someone does decide to break into it then
    >they've
    >got another problem, exactly how to do it, it's extremely difficult
    >because
    >any sort of tapping into the signal seriously degrades the link, that's
    >if
    >it doesn't go down entirely, and it would be immediately noticeable if
    >someone was tapping into your fiber line.
    >
    >-----Original Message-----
    >From: Nick Iglehart [mailto:nick@systemsecuritysolutions.com]
    >Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 3:41 PM
    >To: security-basics@securityfocus.com
    >Subject: Fiber optic vampire taps
    >
    >
    >
    >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
    >Hash: SHA1
    >
    >I have a client who has a fiber optic line between two buildings.
    >There is no physical security and so they are concerned about someone
    >tapping into the fiber line and capturing data.
    >
    >I read something a while back about tapping fiber optic lines without
    >breaking the sheathing and now I can't seem to find anything but vague
    >references to it. I have googled for hours and checked the sf archives
    >with
    >no luck. Anyone have any references to this? Any help is appreciated.
    >
    >Nick
    >
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    >
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