Russian Cable Attacks 'Threaten To Cut Off World's Internet' (telegraph.co.uk)
(Thursday April 10, 2025 @11:00PM (msmash)
from the growing-threat dept.)
- Reference: 0176998357
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/04/11/0245251/russian-cable-attacks-threaten-to-cut-off-worlds-internet
- Source link: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/10/nato-warned-over-internet-blackouts-in-wake-of-subsea-cable/
Military chiefs at Nato have been [1]warned of global internet blackouts following a string of suspected Russian attacks on subsea cables. From a report:
> Telecoms companies including Vodafone, O2 owner Telefonica and Orange have written to UK, EU and Nato officials warning that a rise in sabotage incidents was putting critical services at risk. In an open letter, they wrote: "The repercussions of damage to subsea cables extend far beyond Europe, potentially affecting global internet and power infrastructure, international communications, financial transactions and critical services worldwide."
>
> It comes after a spike in incidents relating to fibre optic cables on seabeds that carry huge volumes of data, voice and internet traffic between countries. More than 500 cables carry around 95pc of all international data, while their remote location makes them difficult and costly to monitor. At least 11 subsea cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea since October 2023 and similar outages have been reported in the North Sea.
>
> The incidents have fuelled fears of sabotage by hostile actors, with more than 50 Russian ships observed in areas of high cable density in the Baltic Sea. The UK is monitoring the Russian spy ship Yantar amid concerns that it is mapping critical underwater infrastructure. Concerns have also been raised about Chinese sabotage following a number of incidents around Taiwan.
[1] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/10/nato-warned-over-internet-blackouts-in-wake-of-subsea-cable/
> Telecoms companies including Vodafone, O2 owner Telefonica and Orange have written to UK, EU and Nato officials warning that a rise in sabotage incidents was putting critical services at risk. In an open letter, they wrote: "The repercussions of damage to subsea cables extend far beyond Europe, potentially affecting global internet and power infrastructure, international communications, financial transactions and critical services worldwide."
>
> It comes after a spike in incidents relating to fibre optic cables on seabeds that carry huge volumes of data, voice and internet traffic between countries. More than 500 cables carry around 95pc of all international data, while their remote location makes them difficult and costly to monitor. At least 11 subsea cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea since October 2023 and similar outages have been reported in the North Sea.
>
> The incidents have fuelled fears of sabotage by hostile actors, with more than 50 Russian ships observed in areas of high cable density in the Baltic Sea. The UK is monitoring the Russian spy ship Yantar amid concerns that it is mapping critical underwater infrastructure. Concerns have also been raised about Chinese sabotage following a number of incidents around Taiwan.
[1] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/10/nato-warned-over-internet-blackouts-in-wake-of-subsea-cable/
Time to take the virtual gloves of (Score:1)
by profke ( 546335 )
I strongly feel it's really time to take the gloves of, and show Putin this road ends in disaster - for him!
Two words: drone subs (Score:3)
Can't the US and allies get low-cost autonymous drone subs to follow these ships and video their operations? Bonus: if we detect they're cutting cables, fire off a torpedo. That'll learn 'em!
That assumes we have the will to use them (Score:2)
Our current president is by all accounts a Russian asset. Literally there is good evidence that they have been developing him since 1987.
I mean, it makes absolutely no sense that he's throwing Ukraine to the wolves because forget their rare earth minerals, we've got plenty of those in the States if we just care to be bothered digging them up, we need them to stabilize Europe's food supply.
I don't know what Russia has over Trump but whatever the hell it is it must be absolutely freaking insane.