Atlantic Council: Global Undersea Data Infrastructure in Terrorists’ Crosshairs

The G7 leaders’ summit, chaired by Italy on June 13-15 in Borgo Egnazia, Puglia region, will particularly address the security of global IT infrastructures. After the recent attack on a fiber optic cable in the Red Sea that left some African countries without Internet, decisions will have to be made on how to protect undersea cables.

According to the Atlantic Council (a US think tank in Washington, DC), the G7 summit could provide an opportunity to “develop a common path” toward “an inclusive Western coalition dedicated to defending the undersea sphere.” An article by Paolo Messa, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Center for Europe, entitled “Why Italy’s G7 is focusing on securing undersea communication networks,” states that “In less than two months, Group of Seven (G7) leaders will gather in Italy for their annual summit, where crises in the Middle East and Ukraine are sure to be high on the agenda. But the leaders should make time to forge a common path forward on an urgent global issue that is largely hidden out of sight – undersea cables.”

According to Messa, “These undersea cables carry over 95 percent of international data traffic, underpinning everything from financial transactions to military operations. Policymakers must address the unique challenges of this domain and develop strategic approaches to protecting it.”

In this context, it is noted that China is moving in this direction by increasing investment in the construction and protection of cables and other submarine infrastructure. Such work is being carried out within the framework of the Beijing Belt and Road Initiative.

According to the article’s author, China does not want to have an “open Internet.” Beijing is also very concerned about the new global transportation project envisioned by the India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor, which, from the Western perspective, is a “promising alternative” to strengthen trade and connectivity. The subsea domain represents “the lifeblood of international data traffic.” The global community can ensure its sustainability by “capitalizing on the momentum generated by the G7 ministers’ statement and using Italy’s presidency of the G7 leaders’ summit to start the process of forging alliances that prioritize security, transparency, and inclusivity.”

“A secure undersea future,” emphasized Paolo Messa, “is essential for preserving the integrity of the global economy.”