Which cable is described as being prone to wiretapping?

Which cable is described as being prone to wiretapping?

• A. Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable
• B. Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) cable
• C. Coaxial cable
• D. Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable

Answer: (A)

Shielding determines how easy it is for someone to tap into a cable. Unshielded Twisted Pair has no surrounding shield, so the electrical signal can leak out more readily and a tapping device can couple into the line without much effort. This inherent openness makes it described as prone to wiretapping. In contrast, Shielded Twisted Pair adds a metal shield that blocks much of the leakage, and coaxial cables use a central conductor with a surrounding shield, both of which greatly reduce the opportunity for covert interception. So for preventing eavesdropping, shielding—and, if possible, using even more secure options like fiber—matters, making unshielded copper pairs the most vulnerable choice.

Shielding determines how easy it is for someone to tap into a cable. Unshielded Twisted Pair has no surrounding shield, so the electrical signal can leak out more readily and a tapping device can couple into the line without much effort. This inherent openness makes it described as prone to wiretapping. In contrast, Shielded Twisted Pair adds a metal shield that blocks much of the leakage, and coaxial cables use a central conductor with a surrounding shield, both of which greatly reduce the opportunity for covert interception. So for preventing eavesdropping, shielding—and, if possible, using even more secure options like fiber—matters, making unshielded copper pairs the most vulnerable choice.