The internet runs on cables at the bottom of the ocean, and the UK just admitted its law protecting them dates back to the telegraph. The Register reports the government wants to change that.
What’s proposed
- Up to 14 years in prison for intentionally damaging critical subsea telecoms or energy infrastructure, and unlimited fines for reckless or negligent damage.
- The current law is the Submarine Telegraph Act 1885, which originally set a £100 maximum fine for negligent damage.
- Subsea cables carry about 99 percent of the UK’s international data traffic.
- Cable operators would get legal duties to manage security risks, and ministers could direct operators and repair firms to act.
- Fiber-optic sensing, which uses cables to detect activity at sea, would also be regulated.
- Russia is front of mind. In April, British forces exposed a covert Russian submarine operation near undersea infrastructure. But fishing boats and dragged anchors cause up to 97 percent of faults.
My take
We network folks spend our days on routers and firewalls, but all of it rides on a handful of physical cables. Tougher law is fine. The harder part, as The Register points out, is proving who cut a cable. More redundant paths matter more than prison terms.
Have a blessed day! And Happy Hacking!
