Russian Ships Near Data Cables Are Too Close for US Comfort

Corporations and governments around the globe depend on the internet, and any break in the deep undersea fiber-optic cables that carry most of the world’s communications could disrupt the global economy. US, Norwegian and other militaries officials have are monitoring Russian submarines and ships operating near the cables. The vessels may be searching for vulnerabilities, suggests a report in the New York Times. David Sanger and Eric Schmitt add that “the internal debate in Washington illustrates how the United States is increasingly viewing every Russian move through a lens of deep distrust, reminiscent of relations during the Cold War.” Most cable locations are no secret with many placed along routes established in the mid-19th century “because the operators of the cables want to put them in familiar environments under longstanding agreements.” The article reports that the cables carry more than 95 percent of communications including financial transactions and global business worth more than $10 trillion a day. – YaleGlobal