Undersea cable attack. Of course, the most difficult practical .

Undersea cable attack. Jun 4, 2025 · The Achilles' heel of the digital age lies beneath our oceans: fragile undersea cables that, when severed, can plunge entire regions into digital darkness. Feb 23, 2024 · Summary: The crisis in the Red Sea, highlighted by Houthi assaults on commercial ships and Iran’s proxy strategies, also brings to light the critical issue of undersea cables’ vulnerability Apr 7, 2025 · How undersea attacks can shake Europe While substantial disruption has not happened so far in Europe from undersea sabotage, there have been signs of what could happen. Their security is at risk. This vast, critical submarine network infrastructure remains largely unknown to consumers and corporations not directly Nov 19, 2024 · Two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea were disrupted in quick succession, NATO officials and local telecommunications companies have said. A coordinated attack on this network could have devastating consequences. A terrorist organization or nefarious nation state decides to derail the global internet by faulting the undersea fiber optic cables that connect the world Dec 16, 2024 · In addition to the physical threats to Europe’s undersea infrastructure, subsea cable systems and the data that flow through them are vulnerable to hacks, espionage, and other cyber risks. Learn how attacks on cables and pipelines impact global connectivity and stability. While submarine cables are occasionally damaged unintentionally, this is a rare occurrence and very unlikely to suddenly happen to two different cables 65 miles apart. Jan 14, 2025 · Attacks on underwater cables in strategic areas connecting telecommunication lines and power sources in Asia and Europe are suspected to be coordinated attacks by China and Russia. Feb 17, 2025 · Subsea cables at risk Red Sea a vital channel Land-based routes considered What do Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a new data centre in Saudi Arabia and the icy waters of the Baltic Sea have in common? In short, they reflect a new Gulf Arab, and indeed global, focus on protecting vital submarine cable networks and potentially developing alternative, terrestrial routes. Mar 26, 2024 · Undersea cables must be understood as critical infrastructure, and their vulnerability – to intentional tampering and accidental damage – acknowledged. Apr 13, 2022 · Federal agents in Honolulu last week “disrupted” an apparent cyberattack on an unnamed telecommunication company’s servers associated with an underwater cable responsible for internet, cable service and cell connections in Hawaii and the region, the agency said in a statement Tuesday. In April 2021, Norway reported that several kilometres of its fibreoptic cables disappeared from the Svalbard archipelago, leaving Norway unable to Nov 21, 2024 · Earlier this week, operators of two communications cables— C-Lion 1 and BCS East-West Interlink —reported faults in the Baltic Sea. But several recent high-profile incidents have exposed their vulnerability to deliberate damage from state and non-state actors. “This is becoming more common,” Iljin said, standing in the cabin of the 23-meter-long patrol vessel, waves chopping against its sides. These networks are prone to cyber attacks that can compromise the availability, confidentiality, and integrity of civilian and military networks across the globe. Russia’s continued hybrid attacks on critical undersea infrastructure (CUI) in the region are a risky game following NATO’s Washington Summit in July statement that hybrid attacks could trigger Article 5. Germany's defense minister said it was likely an act of sabotage. A 1,170km Jun 1, 2022 · The EU's subsea data cable network is both vital for global connectivity and vulnerable. Mar 21, 2025 · domain also qualify as breaches of international obligations under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC). Attacks on undersea infrastructure came to the fore in September 2022 when the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines built to carry natural gas from Mar 18, 2025 · Ways are being developed for subsea cables to "sense" whether they are being disturbed or attacked. Building on reports and expert input, the paper takes stock of current awareness Jan 27, 2025 · Attacks on undersea cables are comparable to traditional espionage and information operations . Sep 6, 2024 · The US has detected increased Russian military activity around key undersea cables, and believes Russia may now be more likely to carry out potential sabotage operations aimed at disabling a Undersea cables are hidden but increasingly vital enablers of the global economy that most people take for granted. Mar 24, 2025 · In February, Cinia detected a disturbance on the C-Lion1 submarine cable between Finland and Germany. Sep 21, 2024 · And, earlier this year, three undersea cables were damaged in the Red Sea during ongoing Houthi attacks in the region. Some authorities suspect Russia may have also been linked to the attack. Apr 12, 2025 · Following a string of alleged Russian attacks on undersea cables, a group of Europe’s largest telecom companies are urging NATO and other military leaders to do more to protect the region's Dec 27, 2024 · Finnish authorities seized a Russia-linked ship in the Baltic Sea on Thursday, on suspicion that it damaged an undersea power cable between Finland and Estonia a day earlier. Jan 10, 2025 · A series of purported acts of sabotage targeting undersea cables has raised concerns about the growing threat facing the interconnectivity of the international community. These fiber-optic cables, which carry over 99 percent of global internet traffic, form the backbone of modern communication networks—underpinning economic transactions, defense coordination, and digital Jan 28, 2025 · The PRC has been tied to other attacks globally. Europe is highly dependent on undersea infrastructure. But a concerted attack on data cables could Jan 28, 2025 · There has been a sharp rise in damage to undersea cables in the Baltic, with at least 11 incidents reported since October 2023. But 97% of the world's communications, including trillions of Jan 5, 2025 · Taiwan suspects that China was behind the cutting of an international undersea telecom cable early Friday morning. Everyday business activities, such as sending emails, making video calls, transmitting data and transferring money, rely on the services provided by telecommunication cables that traverse the floors of the world's seas and oceans. Of course, the most difficult practical Feb 19, 2024 · Britain's critical undersea cable infrastructure needs an urgent defence upgrade with regular sightings of suspicious Russian activity in nearby waters and mysterious cable-cutting incidents posing severe threats. Nov 28, 2024 · NATO's senior expert on cyber and hybrid threats says the persistent attacks on undersea cables across Europe is “the most active threat" to Western infrastructure. In November 2024, European authorities suspected the Chinese-flagged ship Yi Peng 3 damaged two intersecting submarine cables in the Baltic Sea that connect Lithuania to Sweden and Germany to Finland. A 1,170km Jan 1, 2025 · The risks associated with near total global economic reliance on the undersea telecommunication cable network is increasingly acknowledged by scholars and government officials worldwide. Mar 25, 2022 · On average, there are over a hundred breaks of submarine cables every year, caused in general by the fishing boats that pull the anchors. Nov 20, 2024 · Two undersea cables in the Baltic were severed in recent days. The Allied Maritime Command, known as 'Marcom', could face a Jan 15, 2025 · A series of apparent attacks on undersea internet cables show Russia exploiting a Western vulnerability, analysts say. May 21, 2025 · A critical Nato base in Britain could be knocked out by an undersea cable attack, a parliamentary committee has chillingly been warned. Hawaii-based agents with Homeland Security Investigations, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security Dec 10, 2024 · This most recent attack severed two different fiber-optic cables, the C-Lion1 cable connecting Finland and Germany and the Arelion cable connecting the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania. Jan 24, 2025 · MPs and Lords will examine threats to undersea cables in a new inquiry launched today by the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS). Apr 10, 2025 · NATO chiefs have warned that Russia could take down the world's internet if it attacks vital undersea cables. Jun 27, 2023 · Submarine communication cables are a growing target for cyber-threat actors, with incidents capable of causing huge global internet disruption, a new report has found. The cables have become a crucial part of the West's data Dec 13, 2024 · Submarine cables and pipelines are vitally important for energy supply, global communications and economic activity. Feb 21, 2025 · A series of undersea cables and gas pipelines have been damaged in suspected attacks since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, prompting Nato to launch a monitoring mission in the sea last month. The cables have become a crucial part of the West's data Sep 12, 2024 · The United States has recently detected indications of increased Russian military activity around key undersea cables, fueling concerns over a possible escalation in the Kremlin's hybrid war against the west, writes Aleksander Cwalina. This article explores how attacks on these cables threaten national security and global stability—and how resilience can help. Apr 7, 2025 · In total, the Baltic Sea has registered at least six suspected sabotage incidents since 2022, with 11 known undersea cables taken out since 2023. 3 In response to an unlawful use of force, the injured State may take coun-termeasures in line with the international law of State responsibility, and an armed attack may be met with force in the exercise of the right of self-de-fense. Feb 7, 2024 · Revenge takes many forms, but threats of a deep sea attack are easier said than done, writes Frank Gardner. allies warned of "hybrid warfare" Tuesday after two undersea communication cables were severed in the Baltic Sea, raising suspicions that they may be the latest acts of sabotage targeting the Dec 5, 2024 · Undersea internet cables around the world handle 99 percent of transcontinental digital communications, but they're also still vulnerable to breakage—and sabotage. Jan 25, 2024 · Threats to undersea cables are increasing. European officials are looking toward Russia after two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea were suddenly disrupted in an apparent sabotage operation, just weeks after the United States Nov 19, 2024 · European officials are looking toward Russia after two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea were suddenly disrupted in an apparent sabotage operation, just weeks after the United States Nov 19, 2024 · European governments accused Russia on Tuesday of escalating hybrid attacks on Ukraine's Western allies, as Baltic nations investigated whether the cutting of two fibre-optic telecommunication Jan 13, 2025 · Sweden has committed to sending naval forces into the Baltic Sea following yet another suspected Russian attack on underwater cables in the region. Jan 29, 2025 · Russia has denied allegations of any involvement. Dec 1, 2024 · Home World News In The Spotlight Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network Nov 19, 2024 · German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said damage to two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea looks like an act of sabotage and a "hybrid action", without knowing who is to blame. Nov 19, 2024 · European officials are looking toward Russia after two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea were suddenly disrupted in an apparent sabotage operation, just weeks after the United States Jun 14, 2023 · A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday there was no reason for Moscow not to destroy its enemies' undersea communication cables given what he said was Western Undersea infrastructure is under threat. Nov 19, 2024 · The damage to two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea may have been caused by Russia, according Boris Pistorius. The European […] May 13, 2025 · iStock illustration LILLESTRØM, Norway — Undersea cables have been transmitting communications since the 1850s, but the now ubiquitous technology is grabbing headlines as NATO nations accuse bad actors of sabotaging fiber-optic lines in the Baltic Sea. In October 2023, a Chinese-flagged vessel was suspected of damaging both submarine data cables and a gas May 30, 2025 · Undersea cables carry 95% of global data, yet remain vulnerable to sabotage in strategic competition. Recorded Future said that recent geopolitical developments, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China’s coercive actions Dec 15, 2024 · Suspected sabotage of European undersea cables shows just how vulnerable these critical lines are to attack Analysis by Constantine Atlamazoglou Mar 26, 2025 · Attacks on undersea infrastructure came to the fore in September 2022 when the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that carry natural gas under the Baltic sea from Russia to Germany exploded in an act of sabotage. According to Taiwanese media reports, the Shunxin-39, a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship, was intercepted by the country's coast guard about 13 kilometers off the north coast of Taiwan late Jan 28, 2025 · The employment of third-country flagged cargo vessels to carry out undersea cable and pipeline sabotage operations appears to be a new element in Beijing’s ongoing gray zone warfare against Taiwan. Jul 8, 2025 · Countries have come to rely on a network of cables and pipes under the sea for their energy and communications. Was a recently-thwarted cyberattack on a Hawaii underwater cable the work of financially-motivated cybercriminals, government-sponsored hackers, or someone else? Hawaii officials are working with federal agents to determine exactly that, according to Frank Pace, the administrator of the Hawaii Office of Homeland Security. Although the incident is still under Jan 21, 2025 · For instance, those organisations working on a day-to-day basis on CNI projects involving undersea pipelines and cables may not be aware of the likelihood and potential impact of attacks on the nation’s CNI or how critical it would be to UK businesses, citizens, the economy and national security. Since then, the Baltic Sea has seen a series of incidents where undersea cables carrying telecommunications have been damaged. Last year, energy bills rose by 10 per cent in Estonia after glitches in one undersea cable, according to Politico. The disturbance did not affect the functionality of telecommunications connections within the cable, and data traffic continued normally. Jan 30, 2025 · As authorities investigate the fourth Baltic Sea cable-cutting incident in recent months, European leaders have expressed concern about the frequency of attacks involving civilian vessels and The world increasingly relies on undersea cables for economic viability. Mar 10, 2025 · As undersea cables break off Europe and Taiwan, proving sabotage is tough Officials have pointed to China and Russia as likely culprits, but legal challenges make prosecutions difficult. Apr 10, 2025 · Russian cable attacks ‘threaten to cut off world’s internet’ Rise in sabotage incidents is putting critical services at risk, say telecoms companies Feb 14, 2025 · At a time when the eight NATO nations bordering the Baltic Sea are on high alert after a string of undersea power and internet cables were suspiciously severed, Russia's shadow fleet is getting Mar 18, 2025 · Ways are being developed for subsea cables to "sense" whether they are being disturbed or attacked. Around 600 undersea cables carry electricity and information across Jan 19, 2025 · Over the past two years, there have been major sabotage attacks on European undersea critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. So far, the impact on Europe’s natural gas, electricity and data flows has been fairly limited. Nov 26, 2024 · C-Lion1 cable cutting underscores the vulnerability of Western States to intentional damage caused to critical offshore infrastructure. When these cables go dark Jan 28, 2025 · At least 11 undersea cables have been damaged in 15 months. Jul 17, 2025 · The report warned of increasing sabotage threats to undersea internet cables near the Baltic Sea and Taiwan, involving suspected Russian and Chinese actors. These disruptions threaten essential communication channels and expose the vulnerabilities of Northern Europe’s infrastructure. Feb 20, 2025 · The EU said the failure of the undersea cable was the "latest in a series of suspected attacks on critical infrastructure”. Subsea cables are thick fibre-optic cables running along the bottom of the Nov 19, 2024 · German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said damage to two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea looks like an act of sabotage and a "hybrid action", without knowing who is to blame. Incidents in 2023 and 2024 involving Chinese vessels damaging Baltic subsea cables Dec 2, 2024 · Undersea telecommunication cables form the foundation of the global internet and communication networks, carrying 99% of transoceanic digital communications and $10 trillion dollars in financial transactions daily. This study provides a systematic review of the current security threats, as well as the actors at the origin of these threats. Mar 5, 2024 · Three cables under the Red Sea that provide global internet and telecommunications have been cut as the waterway remains a target of Yemen’s Houthi rebels. In September 2022, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was blown up. Without making a ruling on any ongoing investigations, let’s look at the facts. Apr 16, 2025 · Combating sabotage of submarine cables and pipelines is first and foremost a matter of law enforcement. Jan 24, 2025 · An inquiry looking into the vulnerability of the UK’s undersea cable system to attack from foreign entities has been launched by the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS). A report from the Policy Exchange said thousands of miles of undersea fibre-optic Jan 5, 2018 · It might seem like a nightmare scenario. This paper analyzes the cyber attack surface of SCCs Nov 25, 2024 · This hybrid attack – likely from Russia – is clearly meant to send a message to Europe and hopes to divide European governments. The Yemeni Jan 29, 2025 · Incidents damaging Europe’s undersea networks have become more frequent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, raising suspicions they are the result of sabotage. This article examines how fast-paced technological developments in Feb 12, 2025 · A spate of sabotage attacks on underwater cables, allegedly perpetrated by a Russian "shadow fleet," have shown global telecommunications infrastructure is poorly protected against deliberate acts of destruction. Undersea cables date back Jan 6, 2025 · Taiwan suspects China of being behind damage to a crucial subsea communications cable just off its northern coast, which occurred last week. The age of seabed warfare, where undersea infrastructure will increasingly be targeted, has arrived. In November, breaks in two data cables in the Baltic Sea garnered media attention far beyond what problems with undersea critical infrastructure normally generate. It is difficult to measure intentional attacks, but the movements of some ships have started to draw attention since 2014, their route following submarine telecommunication cables. For example, Russia is well positioned to conduct malicious attacks on undersea cables with the help of its intelligence ship, Yantar, which was spotted loitering near cable locations in 2019 and 2021. Local internet service seems largely unaffected, but a swirl of sabotage allegations have emerged in the global press. 2 Militaries fear a range of threats: backdoors could be installed during the cable manufacturing or repair process; cable-landing stations, where subsea cables connect to terrestrial networks, could Jun 11, 2021 · Strengthening Undersea Cables Resilience Given the critical importance of subsea cables for transatlantic security, ensuring their full resiliency should be a collective priority for the United States and its European allies and partners—and while some have already adopted measures at the national level, multilateral action remains limited. Different types of underwater cables Some submarine cables Feb 5, 2025 · Executive Summary Russian hybrid attacks targeting critical undersea infrastructure (CUI), particularly fiber-optic cables, have surged in the Baltic and Arctic regions since 2021. Jan 14, 2025 · A series of incidents involving undersea cables has drawn attention to their vulnerability and cast suspicion on vessels from Russia and China. Feb 28, 2024 · The suspected Houthi attacks on undersea cables in the Red Sea are a timely reminder of a new reality. Aug 16, 2024 · This paper addresses how the United States and its allies can more strategically compete with Chinese and Russian threats to subsea cables and reduce the vulnerability of cable systems. DW explains where they lie and how they are protected. Nov 24, 2024 · Why are cables being attacked? The incident is one of many that has taken place around the world, with an increasing worry that attacking internet infrastructure is being used to try and harm the way of life of many people. Germany's defense minister. Mar 19, 2025 · China’s illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive (ICAD) activities pose a mounting threat to global democracies, with subsea cable sabotage emerging as a particularly alarming tactic. Apr 16, 2025 · As that conflict has steadily escalated, with Russian bombardment intensifying – even as the West has supplied more advanced weaponry to the Ukrainians – the Russians have seemingly found asymmetric undersea warfare, involving frequent covert, deniable attacks on undersea cables, to be a low-cost yet high-impact form of response. Mar 12, 2024 · The recent attack on the cargo ship Rubymar by the Iran-backed Houthis caused the crew to drop anchor, which damaged undersea internet cables, the US has said. But that is difficult business in a very challenging environment. The military organization is concerned about Russia’s mapping activities to locate vital Western infrastructure in waters around Europe used to transport energy and internet data. Feb 3, 2025 · Most of the world's data travels via ocean cables, which are at risk of frequent sabotage. May 20, 2025 · If not actively targeting undersea cables, shadow vessels contribute to persistent surveillance of Taiwan’s subsea infrastructure, allowing China to map vulnerabilities for future attacks. Mar 21, 2025 · Undersea cables are having a moment. Undersea cables are the lifelines of modern economies: they carry over 95% of the world's internet traffic, making them one of the most critical—yet vulnerable—pieces of infrastructure in the 21st century. Recent disruptive incidents affecting seabed infrastructure—including cables—have served only to highlight the network’s vulnerability. Could the vital infrastructure now Two undersea cables in the Baltic were severed in recent days. The problem is that the international law of the sea, as traditionally understood, does not provide coastal States with sufficient authority to effectively respond to sabotage activities beyond their territorial waters (for an in-depth discussion, see here). Despite their critical importance, these cables remain vulnerable to a variety of threats that could have significant consequences for economies, governments, and military Jun 16, 2023 · NATO has launched a new center to help protect vulnerable undersea pipelines and cables. This study provides a systematic review of the current security threats, as well as the actors at the Security threats to undersea communications cables and infrastructure – consequences for the EU The EU’s subsea data cable network is both vital for global connectivity and vulnerable. The deployment of three warships and a surveillance airplane from NATO's newest member to assist the bloc's attempts to prevent more subsea cable Jan 27, 2025 · After a series of suspected undersea cable cuttings, NATO has launched a new surveillance and deterrence mission to protect critical infrastructure under the Baltic Sea. How unusual are cable breaks? Submarine cables break all Dec 27, 2024 · Nato has said it will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea, and Estonia has sent a patrol ship to protect its Estlink1 undersea power cable, after Russia was accused of sabotaging its Mar 5, 2025 · We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. . NATO Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security David Cattler expressed particular concern about Russian activity in European waters Sep 13, 2021 · The construction of new submarine cables is a key part of the constantly changing physical topology of the Internet worldwide. This is activity conducted at the level below that of warfare, designed to send certain signals to Commercial undersea cable communications carry over 97% of all intercontinental electronic communications, facilitating the reach and speed of internet and phone access critical to international trade , official g overnment communications, and daily end user requirements. In February 2023, China was alleged to have severed two cables bringing internet connections to an outlying island of Taiwan, disconnecting the island from the wider web Jan 27, 2025 · The Swedish authorities on Monday boarded a ship in connection with what they described as “gross sabotage” after an undersea communications cable in the Baltic Sea was damaged a day earlier. Abstract The fiber-optic submarine communications cables (SCCs) are a critical infrastructure (CI) forming the cyber backbone of governments, economies, and security organizations. Who is behind it? The cables are typically the width of a garden hose. S. The incident has Nov 19, 2024 · U. dofbua gthmp kjdwwc ltd azkov oiuxd wer dnj bjqq zypjr