Lawfare News

Securing the Undersea Cable Network

John Arquilla
Tuesday, March 7, 2023, 4:05 PM

To enhance security of undersea cable systems, policymakers must address physical and virtual vulnerabilities.

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Threats to undersea cable networks are plentiful, requiring rapid and decisive policy responses. Arquilla delineates between physical and virtual vulnerabilities, identifying challenges with securing exposed cable segments and cybersecurity deficits which could cripple these critical infrastructure systems. To secure these cables, Arquilla proposes enhancing security at vulnerable points, for instance at cable landing sites. Further investment in cybersecurity measures would protect the data transmitted via undersea cables from malicious actors, and redundancy of physical and virtual components would provide an additional safeguard in the event of a successful attack.


You can read the paper here and below:



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John Arquilla is distinguished professor emeritus of defense analysis at the US Naval Postgraduate School. He is the author of over a dozen books and many articles on a wide range of issues in military and security affairs. His latest book, published by Polity in 2021, is Bitskrieg: The New Challenge of Cyberwarfare.