SUBMARINE CABLE DAMAGE AS CYBER RISK

Nothing new under the sun

Cutting cables has been a strategic act ever since the rise of telecommunication networks. The United Kingdom first pioneered this technique during World War I, at a time when it possessed the world’s most advanced undersea telegraph cable system.

On 5 August 1914, the day after Britain declared war on Germany, only one man—Superintendent Bourdeaux—knew the true mission of his crew aboard the ship Alert. At its first destination, the vessel lowered its hook to the seabed and began dredging with the aim of severing cables. This action cut off nearly all of Germany’s external communications and forced its messages to be routed through telegraph lines controlled by Britain. In turn, this gave Britain the ability to intercept German traffic and secure a vital informational advantage.

Cable-cutting soon evolved into so-called “cable wars,” in which both sides targeted each other’s submarine and terrestrial lines.

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