A cross-party group of MPs and peers has called for the UK to step up defences to protect undersea cables from Russian sabotage risks
A cross-party group of MPs and peers has called for the UK to step up defences to protect undersea cables from Russian sabotage risks
The government has been urged to step up defences to sabotage threats from Russia against undersea cables that provide critical internet connections for financial services, datacentres and military communications.
A cross-party group of MPs and peers has warned the UK has “been too timid” in defending the undersea internet cable network from potential attacks by Russia and other hostile nation states.
Parliament’s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy warned in a report that Russian aggression can escalate much faster than UK resilience measures could be upgraded.
“We can no longer rule out the possibility of UK infrastructure being targeted in a crisis,” the committee said.
“We are also not confident that the UK could prevent such attacks or recover within an acceptable time period.”
Nato’s General Secretary, Mark Rutter, warned in June that Russia would be “ready to use military force against Nato within five years”.UK is dependent on subsea internet cables
The UK is a global hub for internet traffic, and almost entirely reliant on subsea cables to exchange data with other countries.
The UK has about 62 subsea cables, about 50 of which are thought to be active, to connect it with the rest of the world and to provide resilience if some are deliberately or accidentally damaged. Additional cables run through the Channel Tunnel.
MPs and peers warn in their report that a simultaneous attack on multiple cables, particularly during times of heightened tension or conflict, could cause significant disruption.
There is growing concern about malicious reconnaissance and sabotage of the UK’s underwater infrastructure, they say in a report published today.Parliament concerned over Russian threats
Experts told the committee that Russia operates titanium-hulled vessels that can target cables at extreme depths and is willing to recruit freelance shipping operators to damage undersea cables by dragging their anchors.
