S 1.22 Physical protection of lines and distributors

Initiation responsibility: Building Services, Head of IT, Planner

Implementation responsibility: Building Services

In rooms visited by the general public or in parts of buildings that cannot be easily monitored, it may be wise to protect lines and distributors. These items can be protected in various ways:

• installing concealed wiring or concealed cable channels,
• installing the lines in armoured pipes,
• installing the lines in mechanically sturdy and lockable channels,
• locking distributors, and
• electrically monitoring distributors and channels

In any case, the number of locations in which the cable routed can be accessed must be kept to a minimum, and lengths of the cable connections to be protected against unauthorised access must be kept as short as possible.

The protection of central routes and cables of the electrical power network and the IT cables must be adapted along the entire cable path to the corresponding threat scenarios. In areas such as underground car parks and in corridors used as transportation paths, appropriate protection against accidental mechanical damage and, if necessary, against acts of sabotage, must be provided using a stable casing around the route or cable.

If distributors are locked, then rules are needed to determine who has the right to access the distributors, how the keys are distributed, and the terms of access. These rules must specify, in addition to other things, what must be done before modifying cables or distributors and what must be done after such work is complete. It must be ensured that changes are coordinated and approved, and that the documentation reflects these changes.

Review questions:

• Is the number of places where the installed cable is freely accessible reduced to a minimum?
• Are cables and routes in areas accessible to the public protected against mechanical damage and acts of sabotage?
• Are there rules for the access to locked distributors?
• Are there rules for carrying out works and modifications on the IT and electrical cabling (e.g.: authorisation, acceptance, continuation of the documentation)?