Cigarette smoke residues can damage computer equipment and ideally smoking should not be permitted in workplaces for both the health of workers and their equipment. For equipment used out of doors or in unsecured buildings, such as equipment used by remote polling teams or in polling stations, the equipment should ideally come with its own secure housing to ensure that outside environmental factors such as dust or moisture do not affect it. It may be necessary to use equipment that is purpose built for use in remote locations, ensuring that it is robust and capable of functioning under adverse circumstances. Another form of technology with special physical security needs is communication equipment. In particular, cables connecting computer networks need to be kept safe from harm.
Cables are at risk of being gnawed by rodents and being tripped over by humans.
Ways of safeguarding cables include shielding the cables inside ducts or strong sheaths, placing them inside walls, below floors and above ceilings, building false floors to enable cables to travel underneath them, burying cables underground or mounting them on poles. Where cables are at risk, alternatives such as microwave links could be considered. Human Factors Many of the measures taken to secure technology against environmental factors can also be used to prevent accidental or deliberate human intervention with technology. Physical isolation, such as placing key items of technology, such as network servers, inside dedicated rooms, can help to reduce the chance of human intervention. Similarly, placing network cables inside walls, below floors and above ceilings makes them hard to access.