Nick Thompson
Undersea cables have been dominating the headlines in recent months – specifically, repeated episodes in which damage has been done to this unseen yet critical element of global infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of miles of cables run along the sea floor, key pieces in networks of global communications and the world’s financial system, and in the Baltic Sea and most recently in the waters off Taiwan, undersea cables have been cut. It isn’t always clear whether the damage is accidental or intentional, but Chinese and Russian vessels have been accused in the latest incidents of damaging cables in apparent acts of sabotage.
The Cipher Brief turned to Nick Thompson, a former CIA paramilitary officer and expert on the subject, to assess the threat to undersea cables and what can be done to protect them. Thompson warned that as bad actors around the world increasingly turn to subterfuge and gray zone activity, the risks to undersea infrastructure will be heightened. “I think it’s widening from what we’ve seen traditionally, [with] Russia and China,” he said. “It’s probably going to take place in other areas around the globe.”
Thompson spoke with Cipher Brief Managing Editor Tom Nagorski. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Watch the full discussion on The Cipher Brief YouTube channel.
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