Patent ID: 8750707

Claim:
A method for secure communications between optical transceivers in an optical communication system, the method comprising: formatting data traffic as a plurality of frames in a first optical transceiver, wherein overhead of at least one of the frames includes a secure passcode; transmitting at least a first optical signal including the data traffic formatted as the plurality of frames from the first optical transceiver; receiving the first optical signal at a second optical transceiver provisioned to receive the data traffic including the secure passcode and allowing the second optical signal transceiver to read the data traffic; after the second optical transceiver stops receiving the first optical signal, receiving the first optical signal at a third optical transceiver that is not provisioned to receive the data traffic including the secure passcode; and in response to determining that the third optical transceiver is not provisioned to receive the data traffic including the secure passcode, preventing the data traffic from being read from the third optical transceiver at least temporarily and provisionally inserting an alternative maintenance signal into a third optical signal transmitted by the third optical transceiver.