Patent ID: 8693865

Claim:
A data processing device connectable to a communication network and comprising at least one processor to: receive data associated with an attenuation characteristic of an optical fiber of a cable in a cable communication subsystem, the subsystem comprising a transceiver coupled to the cable; based on a comparison of the received data with historical data associated with the attenuation characteristic, determine that an optical tap has been applied to the optical fiber of the cable; initiate a security procedure in response to determining that the optical tap has been applied to the optical fiber; receive physical layer characteristic data relating to the cable communication subsystem; and determine operating conditions of the cable communication subsystem based on the physical layer characteristic data, the operating conditions including plural conditions selected from among: a condition in which the transceiver for communicating optical signals in the optical fiber has been swapped, a condition in which the cable has been disconnected and then reconnected, a condition in which the cable has been replaced, and a condition in which a connector of the cable is not engaged or is partially engaged.