[97261] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
unintended consequences?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steven M. Bellovin)
Wed Aug 8 16:35:27 2007
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 14:48:54 -0400
From: "Steven M. Bellovin" <smb@cs.columbia.edu>
To: cryptography@metzdowd.com
I recently saw a news story about a new kind of fiber optic cable from
Corning -- it has a much smaller bending radius. (See
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/08/06/100141306/index.htm?postversion=2007072303
and
http://www.corning.com/media_center/press_releases/2007/2007072301.aspx)
The problem is that when fiber is bent too sharply, the light escapes.
Of course, that's the rumored way that, umm, agencies tap fiber: they
bend it enough that some light escapes, but not too much. That trick
won't work nearly as well with the new fiber, which is reportedly 100x
more bendable. Does that mean that the new fiber is less tappable?
--Steve Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb
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