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NATO warns: Internet and power cables are the "Achilles heel" of the West

2024-05-06 12:58:39Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

NATO warns: Internet and power cables are the "Achilles heel" of the

The West, and thus NATO, faces a new type of threat, which is no longer theoretical, as large underwater data and power transmission networks are exposed to malicious external intrusions and attacks. This threat is critical, as these networks are vulnerable to attack, not only from Russia, but also from uncontrolled terrorist or criminal attacks.

With 95% of the world's internet running through underwater networks, it is obvious the massive impact that brute force interference and disruption of data traffic would have on the global economy and all areas of life, even the conduct of operations military. Through the transfer of data from the submarine network of fiber optic cables, it is estimated that daily transactions are carried out globally amounting to 8 trillion dollars.

The length of thousands of kilometers of submarine cables makes it vulnerable as a system and gives an advantage to anyone seeking to damage these networks.

In NATO, in recent years, there has been a great concern for maintaining the security of submarine networks. Just a few days ago, a senior NATO officer, Vice Admiral Didier Malleterre, warned in an interview with The Guardian that critical underwater cables and pipelines are at risk.

The vice admiral, who is deputy commander of the Joint Chiefs of Naval Operations (MARCOM), and has served on submarines, said there are suspicious activities and cases of damage that raise the alarm about potential threats from Russia and that NATO countries are using software of artificial intelligence, sensors and more to protect vulnerable underwater networks, as the security of 1 billion citizens of the Alliance's member countries is at risk.

According to the vice admiral, NATO has identified several cases of suspicious activity around underwater infrastructure in recent years and added that the Russians "have developed a lot of hybrid warfare under the sea to disrupt the European economy".

At a time of rising tensions, NATO countries are being forced to extensively scan their waters using sensors, satellites and even underwater equipment to detect suspicious movements and protect underwater networks.

On April 16-17, a major meeting between representatives of high-tech industries and companies and governments was held at NATO headquarters in Brussels to discuss maritime challenges. The purpose of the Ocean Digital Industry Symposium was to strengthen NATO's capabilities for the surveillance and protection of maritime communication networks, which are critical to the security of the Euro-Atlantic region, with the most important chapter being the protection of underwater infrastructure.

At the NATO Summit in Vilnius in 2023, the leaders of the Alliance decided to create a Critical Maritime Security Center of the Underwater Infrastructure, within the framework of the Maritime Command of the Alliance (Maritime Command - MARCOM), while at the beginning of 2023 the Core of Submarine Infrastructure Coordination was established at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

In the past, there have been suspicious incidents involving underwater infrastructure. In October 2023, damage was found to telecommunication cables and a natural gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland due to an unknown cause. Investigations indicated that the damage was caused by an anchor, but the vessel responsible was not identified, although evidence suggests a Russian and a Chinese vessel were sailing near the area at the time. In February 2022, after investigations, it was found that there was human intervention in causing the damage to a Norwegian undersea fiber optic data transmission cable, while a few months earlier part of the cable had gone missing.

Also, an episode that raised the alarm was recorded in September 2022 when the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany was damaged. The West blamed Russia, while Moscow accused Ukraine, the US and Britain of sabotage.

Well before the war in Ukraine in 2017, NATO officials such as the Commander of Submarines were warning that there was intense underwater activity by the Russians near submarine cables. But even a year ago, NATO intelligence chief David Cutler warned that "there are growing concerns that Russia may target submarine cables and other critical infrastructure in an attempt to disrupt life in the West."

Faced with the new facts, Britain and France are now incorporating the security of underwater cable and pipeline infrastructure into their naval doctrine to ensure the capabilities needed for this major new seabed "war".


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