An optical interconnect is a data link that carries information as light, usually through fiber or silicon photonics, instead of as electrical signals. It is used to move data between chips, servers, racks, or larger systems when bandwidth and distance make copper wiring less efficient.
In cyber security, optical interconnects matter because they sit on critical paths for cloud, AI, and data-center traffic. If an attacker gains physical access, they may try to tap fiber, tamper with transceivers, disrupt alignment, or abuse management interfaces for the optical hardware. Defenders reduce risk with encryption on the link, strong physical controls, authenticated device management, and monitoring for signal loss or abnormal latency. Optical links improve speed and reach, but they do not remove the need for standard security controls.