IT Baseline Protection Manual - The Information Warfare Site

Threats Catalogue Deliberate Acts Remarks
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T 3.5 Inadvertent damaging of cables
The risk of inadvertent damage increases with the lack of protection provided
in the layout of cables. Such damage does not necessarily result in an
immediate breakdown of connections. It is also possible that inadmissible
connections are established accidentally. Typical examples of such damage
are:
within the building:
- an unembedded flexible device cable is yanked out with the foot;
- damaging of concealed (buried) cables by drilling or nailing;
- incursion of water into windowsill ducts;
- incursion of water into conduit subways (floor ducts) during cleaning of
the building;
- damaging of exposed lines (on walls or floors) during the transport of
bulky or heavy objects.
externally:
- damage caused during below-grade construction, through both manual
excavation and excavator use;
- incursion of water into underground lines/buried cables.
Example:
In a pedestrian precinct, the charwoman employed by a small shop had made a
habit of pouring the used water directly in the PTT-cable inspection manhole.
Although the water evaporated, the dirt and soap residues deposited on the
cables had to be removed with great expenditure of time and effort when
work had to be carried out.
- damaging of cables by rodents;
- damaging of ducts and cables by roots (the roots of a tree are strong
enough to crush cables);
- damage caused by the exceeding of admissible traffic loads (pipes may
burst, cables may be sheared).
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IT-Baseline Protection Manual: Oktober 2000