How vulnerable are undersea cables to attack?

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U.S. and China wage war beneath the waves – over internet cables​

It started out as strictly business: a huge private contract for one of the world’s most advanced undersea fiber-optic cables. It became a trophy in a growing proxy war between the United States and China over technologies that could determine who achieves economic and military dominance for decades to come.

In February, American subsea cable company SubCom LLC began laying a $600-million cable to transport data from Asia to Europe, via Africa and the Middle East, at super-fast speeds over 12,000 miles of fiber running along the seafloor.

That cable is known as South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 6, or SeaMeWe-6 for short. It will connect a dozen countries as it snakes its way from Singapore to France, crossing three seas and the Indian Ocean on the way. It is slated to be finished in 2025.

It was a project that slipped through China’s fingers.

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U.S. and China wage war beneath the waves - over internet cables

The two superpowers are vying to control subsea cables, a hidden network that speeds internet data around the globe. This tech war is fueled by worries that spies are listening.

www.reuters.com

 

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Can the Houthi Sever Global Underwater Cables off their Coast?​

Feb 7, 2024

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner - discussed reports that the Houthi may be planning to attack submarine cables carrying the world's internet and why it may not be possible. 9 minutes long.



- Submarine Cable Map https://www.submarinecablemap.com/
- Animated map reveals the 550,000 miles of cable hidden under the ocean that power the internet https://youtu.be/DKHZKTRyzeg?si=_o93W...
- Houthis could cut undersea global internet cables, minister warns https://www.businessinsider.com/houth...
- How Britain pioneered cable-cutting in World War One https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe...

 

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Four More Subsea Cables Disrupted Off Africa

On Thursday morning, damage to at least four subsea cables along the west coast of Africa slowed down internet access for a dozen countries, according...

maritime-executive.com

 

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WSJ

U.S. Fears Undersea Cables Are Vulnerable to Espionage From Chinese Repair Ships​

WASHINGTON—U.S. officials are privately delivering an unusual warning to telecommunications companies: Undersea cables that ferry internet traffic across the Pacific Ocean could be vulnerable to tampering by Chinese repair ships.

State Department officials said a state-controlled Chinese company that helps repair international cables, S.B. Submarine Systems, appeared to be hiding its vessels’ locations from radio and satellite tracking services, which the officials and others said defied easy explanation.

The warnings highlight an overlooked security risk to undersea fiber-optic cables, according to these officials: Silicon Valley giants, such as Google and Meta Platforms, partially own many cables and are investing in more. But they rely on specialized construction and repair companies, including some with foreign ownership that U.S. officials fear could endanger the security of commercial and military data.

The Biden administration’s focus on the repair ships is part of a wide-ranging effort to address China’s maritime activities in the western Pacific. Beijing has taken steps in recent decades to counter U.S. military power in the region, often by seeking ways to stymie the Pentagon’s communications and other technological advantages in case of a clash over Taiwan or another flashpoint, officials say.

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MSN

www.msn.com