It seems like there are lots of ways to prevent man in the middle attacks. I\'ve

Question

It seems like there are lots of ways to prevent man in the middle attacks. I've read many on here and on the rest of the internet. According to wiki you need a secure channel as well to completely safeguard against it. I have two questions in regards to preventing it in the real world.

Does the US government monitor 100% of the lines dug in the US? Obviously (hopefully) data centers are secured but what is there to stop someone from driving out into the desert and physically tapping into a line?

In that scenario, is there anything that can be done by two nodes to detect someone started eaves dropping? (Maybe more of a physics question?) Are there any protocols like this already?

This question is in the scope of public key cryptography because if you have a secure channel you can just exchange a new key as needed.

Explanation / Answer

There are a few countermeasures they typically deploy. One is encryption, which is pretty straightforward. They also monitor their fiber optics for unexpected attenuation or a change in the scattering of the light. Additionally there are ways to configure fiber to detect acoustical disturbances, theoretically detecting the tap being placed.

They also have a standard in place that has requirements revolving around the conduits, carriers, etc. for sensitive data. The standard is named NSTISSI 7003 and there are also some summaries out there if you'd like to know more. Additionally, they use the TEMPEST standard which discusses how to protect against electromagnetic radiation leaking which could theoretically be detected without physically breaching the conduit the cables are run through. TEMPEST also covers eavesdropping but the eavesdropping portion has not been released as far as I know.

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