ShortPDS Alarmed Carrier and Protective Distribution System (PDS)

It is a Protective Distribution System in which an approved alarm system continuously monitors the carrier, or the space around it, for attempted penetration. With ShortPDS, a copper sensor cable is installed along the outside of the carrier or threaded through it so mechanical activity associated with drilling, cutting, lifting or other tampering can produce an alarm.

Yes. CNSSI No. 7003 identifies an alarmed carrier as one of the available Category 2 carrier methods. It requires the alarm system to detect attempted penetration, report faults, resist tampering, annunciate to a continuously staffed location and support the required security response.

ShortPDS is a component that can support such a design. Compliance and approval apply to the complete installation, not to the sensor alone. The department or agency Authorizing Official is responsible for approving, certifying and recertifying the PDS.

For an approved alarmed carrier, CNSSI No. 7003 does not require the routine visual inspection schedule listed for non-alarmed carriers. It does not eliminate all inspection, testing or operating requirements. Each alarm zone must be functionally verified at the interval required for the classification of the information carried: monthly for Confidential, weekly for Secret, and daily for Top Secret or Sensitive Compartmented Information, unless the responsible authority imposes different or additional requirements.

The approved standard operating procedure must also address alarm response, investigation, maintenance, transmission shutdown and fault reporting.

Typical applications include short runs between secure rooms, from a SCIF or other Controlled Access Area to an IT or telecommunications room, through controlled or limited-access corridors, above accessible ceilings, and between approved areas in the same facility. The route and surrounding access conditions must match the approved PDS design.

ShortPDS is designed to detect vibration patterns associated with attempts to drill, cut, lift, open or otherwise penetrate the protected conduit, pipe, raceway or cable tray. Detection performance depends on proper mechanical coupling, installation, configuration and commissioning tests on the actual carrier.

One processor can monitor up to four independent conduits or zones, each with up to 1,000 ft (300 m) of copper sensor cable. The maximum combined sensor length is 4,000 ft (1,200 m). Each zone has separate intrusion and line-monitoring outputs so the receiving system can identify which run generated the event.

The system combines vibration-frequency analysis, automatic live calibration and independently adjustable sensitivity. The processor provides 22 onboard sensitivity levels per zone and up to 500 levels through the configuration software. Final settings should be confirmed by testing representative tamper activity and normal background conditions on every zone.