Every other category on this site protects a place. This one protects a cable. Where a network carries classified or sensitive traffic, the physical path between rooms is part of the attack surface, and the governing requirement is usually that the conduit is either inspected or alarmed.
A protective distribution system encloses the cable run and detects tampering with the enclosure. RBtec builds two, for two different distances.
FiberPDS is a long-range alarmed carrier built on the same distributed acoustic sensing technology as RaySense. A single processor monitors up to 100 km (62 miles) of conduit, pipe, raceway and cable tray, and locates tampering to within 3 meters. For campus and inter-building runs, this replaces a great deal of inspection.
ShortPDS adds intrusion detection to conduits, pipes, raceways and cable trays over shorter runs. It exists because the alternative — periodic visual inspection of every foot of carrier — is expensive, and because the requirement does not go away just because the run is short.
This is the category that sits between the two disciplines, and it is usually specified by a network or accreditation team rather than a physical security one. If you are working to a government PDS requirement, the specification will normally tell you whether a hardened carrier, an alarmed carrier, or continuous inspection is acceptable — and the alarmed carrier is generally the option that removes the inspection burden.
Run length, the carrier type already installed, and the standard you are accrediting against. Those three usually determine the answer.
RBtec delivers innovative perimeter security solutions trusted worldwide. With over 5,000 systems installed in 57 countries, our products combine reliability, cost-effectiveness, and user-friendly design for any site size or risk level.
