The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project results from a new capability to detect eavesdropping on a fiber optic data communications link. Much of human society - commerce, social interaction, entertainment, etc. - is increasingly information-based. Technology related to the production and dissemination of information is developing at an exponential rate, with optical communications systems in particular forming the backbone of the internet and other high-capacity communications networks. It is little wonder, therefore, that the wealth of modern society is increasingly represented in the form of information. Protecting such information from access by unauthorized persons or entities is obviously of increasing importance across all sectors of society. This project is aimed at developing a technology to detect the leakage of information at the physical layer in an optical communications system, thus detecting intrusion by an unauthorized party.
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project brings innovation in securing fiber optic physical transmission media by developing a novel polarization-based intrusion detection system and demonstrating its commercial value. Secure transmission of data is critical to governments, military organizations, financial institutions, health care providers and other enterprises. The proposed fiber optic polarization-based intrusion detection system utilizes the properties of light, as they are manifested in single mode fiber, as a means of ensuring the integrity and security of the physical layer of a fiber-optic based communication link. This technology breakthrough is expected to provide a low-cost means for operators of fiber optic systems to detect intrusion and take corrective measures. Since single mode optical fibers are the primary transmission media of high-capacity long distance telecommunications networks, the proposed technology will enable the detection and prevention of potentially one of the most damaging forms of information theft.
The broader impact of this project comes from the capability of detecting eavesdropping on a fiber optic data communications link. Much of the world is moving toward what is termed as an Information Society. Since information represents the "wealth" component of this society, protection of information and guarding it from being accessed by an unauthorized entity, is obviously important; the more rapid the movement toward information society, the greater the need to protect information. Since optical fibers are the workhorse of the telecommunications network, prevention of eavesdropping on optical fibers will prevent a large proportion of unauthorized intrusion into customer information while it is in transit. While information leakage can be prevented through the use of encryption, all contemporary forms of encryption are only computationally secure. Given enough computational power and time, a cryptanalyst can recover the original information. The intellectual merit of this project is reflected by the developed intrusion detection system which is capable of detecting eavesdropping on an optical fiber link to prevent any attempt to collect information in the first place. The optical fiber link can be tapped either by fiber bending, scattering or using a splitter. The countermeasures that have been utilized include encasement of the fiber cable in cement, installation of the fiber cable in a pressurized conduit or continuous surveillance of the entire fiber link. The developed system is a new countermeasure to optical fiber tapping based on monitoring the behavior of certain polarization properties of light. Polarization is extremely sensitive to any physical change in the fiber. During the placement of optical taps, fiber geometry is altered which affects the polarization properties of light. The system was tested with optical fibers of various lengths and types, and under different environmental conditions and changes in fiber geometry. Comparison of the results of the perturbed and unperturbed links has shown that the state of polarization of light is a reliable indicator of intrusion.
