Irish waters may be a 'choke point' in terms of vulnerability of subsea cables

“Subsea fibre optic cables are now the backbone of our communication infrastructure,” Camino Kavanagh, a senior fellow with the UN Institute for Disarmament Research told a webinar in Ireland.

“More than 95% of global internet, voice and data traffic passes through the vast submerged network. 

So literally, all of our private, business, government, and military communications depend on it, as do global financial transactions all the way down to humanitarian assistance. 

She said concerns of damage to cables, whether accidental or deliberate, are “particularly acute” in certain maritime regions, including the North Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea.

Ms Kavanagh said: “Ireland is considered a choke point of vulnerability.” 

She said Ireland is a risky location along with the likes of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

The neglect of Irish naval capabilities, a lack of maritime intelligence, together with increased surveillance activity and visible military posturing by Russian vessels in Ireland’s EEZ has raised growing concerns regarding the security of subsea cables and energy pipelines.

Hosting the webinar, organised by the Institute of International and European Affairs, retired Defence Forces chief of staff Mark Mellett said it has been clearly visible in recent times that foreign actors are “carrying out surveillance activity” in Irish EEZ and speculated that this “may well be a ticking timebomb” regarding what might be planned for the infrastructure in the future.

Ms Kavanagh said it is “very, very difficult” for a small country, such as Ireland, to fully monitor and patrol a large area – even if the Government implements its planned investment for the Defence Forces.

Instead, she recommended two basic measures the government could take:

• ”Hardening” the physical and cybersecurity of the land components of data cables (where the cables land) and network infrastructure, as these sections are “often the most vulnerable” and are “easier to damage” than cables in the sea;
• More detailed collaboration with other countries, including neighbouring states, in terms of protecting maritime areas. 

Ms Kavanagh said Ireland could learn from Finland, in terms of a “whole of government” approach to the issue, involving a partnership with the maritime private industry, which own and operate the cables.

She said the Netherlands is a good example for gathering maritime information by establishing a Data Fusion Centre, where relevant agencies co-locate. Norway is another country Ireland could learn from, she said, in using subsea sensors near cables.