SUBMARINE CABLE VULNERABILITY
Jack Runfola, President R&R
System Solutions
For some time now there have been multiple articles and
thoughts on the vulnerability of commercial submarine cable systems. However,
submarine cable system vulnerability is not a new subject. In 2005, R&R
System Solutions was asked to address a US Homeland Security Conference on
submarine cable security. In our presentation, we addressed the vulnerability
of cables and landing stations. Most of the world does not pay much attention
to these cable systems, nor is most of the world informed about the type of
traffic these systems carry. Without going into a lot of detail these
communication systems are vital, critical in fact. These systems transport
Internet services, social media, financial transactions, news, live TV events,
government information and more.
Submarine communication systems are vulnerable to wide
variety of damage that could interrupt their transmission. Typically, the most
often cause of damage is fishing activity, anchors, natural disasters. However,
deliberate damage can be caused in several ways such as cutting the cable by
mechanical means or using a diver (if the diver’s life is expendable), or
explosives. This will damage a single cable but not shutdown all vital traffic.
The real vulnerability lies at the landing stations. Due to
practical economic reasons multiple cable systems can and do use the same
landing site. This creates a cable cluster which in turn is vulnerable. Private
companies employ security measures, but is this enough?
Although constructed and operated by commercial
organizations should governments consider these systems as national assets? If
so, then the question becomes if a landing station is sabotaged does this
require a military or other government response? Serious question. Means of
protection of these systems can be established in territorial waters by using various
methods or defense technology but there seems to be no current international agreement
on submarine system protection in international waters. The deliberate damaging
of a single cable in international waters could represent harassment but not
necessarily a threat. But would major damage to multiple systems in a single
incident be considered for military or other government action? This is a
serious question. Something to think about.
