Cybersecurity Policy Report, Report Prioritizes Addressing Undersea Cables Vulnerabilities, (Nov 13, 2024)

By Jeff Williams

Pointing to undersea fiber-optic cables as key information and telecommunications technology (ITC) infrastructure that is becoming a “highly consequential theater of great power competition” between the U.S., China, Russia, and other countries, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a report yesterday citing the need for a “consideration of the vulnerabilities of subsea systems” and what the U.S. can do to “fortify the digital rails of the future and safeguard this critical infrastructure.”

Among several recommendations, the report said the U.S. and its allies should “leverage development finance institutions (DFIs), multilateral development banks (MDBs), export credit agencies (ECAs), government agencies, and the private sector to support host countries and help U.S. and allied firms compete with their Chinese and Russian counterparts and secure allied systems.”

The U.S. should also lessen the vulnerabilities of its undersea cables by expanding its repair capacity and increasing funding for cable repair ships, as well as “prioritize developing and implementing a cohesive legal and international framework to defend the submarine cable network” and updating its “burdensome domestic permitting processes.”

The report also suggested that the U.S. “closely collaborate” with allies, including through “regulatory cooperation and providing technical assistance to developing countries and emerging economies.”

Approximately 98% of the world’s undersea cables are manufactured and installed by only a handful of companies, and Amazon.com, Inc., Google LLC, Meta Platforms, Inc., and Microsoft Corp. own or lease about 50% of undersea bandwidth worldwide, the report noted. In addition, it highlighted that China has had a “rapid emergence as a leading subsea cable provider and owner” through HMN Technologies Co. Ltd., a former subsidiary of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

Overall, the “scale and exposure” of undersea infrastructure makes it an “easy target for saboteurs operating in the gray zone of ‘deniable attacks short of war,’” the report said, noting various instances around the world in which undersea cables had been damaged by sabotage or under other suspicious circumstances.

“Less likely, but still of concern, geopolitical rivals such as China could potentially collect the data flowing through this infrastructure,” the report said, warning about an “overreliance on Chinese repair ships due to limited alternatives in the marketplace” and the “backdoor vulnerability” created by the use of “high-risk” vendors.

Russia also poses threats to undersea infrastructure that are a “significant concern,” the report said, adding that Russia “views this infrastructure as a critical point of leverage against the security of Western nations.”

Because Russia relies less on undersea cables than the U.S. or China, it is “potentially more willing to exploit” vulnerabilities than other nations, the report said.

“The threats posed by state actors—particularly Russia and China—highlight the urgent need for measures to protect this infrastructure,” the CSIS report said. “Russia’s strategic use of specialized submarines and espionage vessels to potentially sabotage undersea cables, combined with China’s rapid expansion in subsea cable construction and control, underlines the vulnerability of these critical systems. Without coordinated international efforts to safeguard these cables, the risks of disruption, espionage, and economic instability will continue to grow.”

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