Patent ID: 8509436

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a command receiver comprising an encrypted signal input port and an encrypted data output port and electronic circuitry operatively configured to receive and demodulate an encrypted command signal from said encrypted signal input port and output encrypted data from said encrypted data output port; a decryption sub-assembly comprising an encrypted data input port, electrically connected to said encrypted data output port, and a decrypted data output port and electronic circuitry operatively configured to decrypt encrypted data applied to said encrypted data input port and output decrypted data from said decrypted data output port; and an optical switch, interconnected between components of an information processing infrastructure, and comprising an input optical port, an output optical port, and a control signal input port electrically connected to said decrypted data output port, said switch characterized by a first switch state that optically connects said input optical port and said output optical port, said switch further characterized by a second switch state that optically isolates said input optical port from said output optical port, said first switch state and said second switch state selected by application of corresponding control signal to said control signal input port wherein said optical switch comprises a polarization beam splitter, at least one Faraday polarization rotator, and a polarization beam combiner.