Re: [PEN-TEST] Datacenter Wiring

[John Brand <jbrand () ARL ARMY MIL>]

I'd be nervous about smoke.  Based on what I think I got in ordnance basic,
30 yrs ago, some thoughts:

Lots of mixtures are acid.  That could be a lot of fun with electronics.
Some act hygroscopically.  Example: TiCl4, though don't know if it's still
used or even available.  You get TiO2 (like in white paint) and HCl; the
HCl then dissolves itself in atmospheric water to form hydrochloric acid
droplets (acid fog).  Some pyrotechnic smoke residue is loaded with
perchlorate or nitrate residues, very hygroscopic, corrodes like crazy.
Example: black powder residue.  Having something like that deposit itself
wetly inside my machines looks like nearly impossible to clean out and
likely to corrode.  Not wild about lungs, either.

Don't know what hydrocarbon (fog oil) smoke would do to electronics in the
long term after it condensed out all over everything.  No, there is no
greasy feel to exposed surfaces in the field after diesel or fog oil smoke,
but I'd not bet my machine and my data on it.  Maybe no problem.  Maybe
destruction.  If memory serves one is supposed to wear a gas mask in it,
but that could have been corporate CYA.

Other smokes are basically carbon--soot. That could be fun, too.  High
noise micro-resistors, though presumably the potting should protect the
teeny tiny electrical connections.  It is worth remembering that, at least
at low temperatures, the residue from black electrical tape between
connectors produces enough noise to get in the way of low level light
detectors. You can't see it but you better clean the (invisible) traces
with solvent.  Don't know what soot would do, esp. visible soot, esp. at
high freqs.

I have heard that the average cigarette smoke particle is bigger than the
head clearance distance for floppies--HDs presumably sealed--which could be
fun, too, with a wet smoke that may just sit there for a while.  Or carbon
black.

For more info you could perhaps access the Army smoke tech manuals through
the web.  Don't know for sure; they may not be public domain.  Does not
seem like  a good idea to use the stuff unless the smoke manufacturer will
post some iron clad indemnities and answer some really detailed questions.
I'd also be nervous about lawyers.  Some of that stuff rots your lungs for
sure, and how could you prove all of it doesn't?  Out of twelve jurors,
half are below average.

My two cents.  Feel free to suppress if not germane.

regards, john b.