The simple cabling equipment the NSA allegedly deployed to monitor phone calls and Internet use

With recent news stories accusing the National Security Agency (NSA) of collecting massive amounts of data on Americans’ phone calls and Internet use, many professionals in the cabling industry probably are not as stunned as their fellow citizens about the agency’s ability to collect such information.

The act of tapping a communications line is easily accomplished and, in nearly all cases, invisible to the everyday user of a phone or Internet connection.

An article we recently published titled “Tapping: It’s not just for phones anymore,” may turn out to be quite prescient. It explains how data center managers can use taps, or optical splitters, to monitor traffic for the purpose of identifying network-performance issues such as bottlenecks. In light of current NSA headlines, it’s easy to see how this technology can be used for other purposes.

Read the article Tapping: It’s not just for phones anymore, from our March 2013 issue.