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Officials are warning that Russia could switch off the internet for the entire planet following a new wave of attacks.
Military chiefs at NATO were told to be prepared for potential global internet blackouts.
This is after there was a series of attacks on subsea cables that are suspected to have come from Russia.
An open letter from Telecoms companies has revealed that an increase in these type of attacks will put critical services at risk.
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According to a report by the Telegraph, in the letter, it read: “The repercussions of damage to subsea cables extend far beyond Europe, potentially affecting global internet and power infrastructure, international communications, financial transactions and critical services worldwide.
“Subsea cable security must be a cornerstone of broader infrastructure protection efforts. By acting now, we can safeguard the networks that underpin our shared future.”
There have been 11 subsea cables in the Baltic Sea that have been damaged in the last couple of years and similar reports have been made over cables located in the North Sea.
Now, fears are growing that these incidents could be linked to the large presence of Russian ships in the Baltic Sea.
As per the Telegraph, UK Defense Secretary John Healey said that the internet outages were ‘another example of growing Russian aggression’.
He added: “I also want President Putin to hear this message: we see you, we know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.”
Matt Western, who is the chairman of the committee, said: “As the geopolitical environment worsens, foreign states are seeking asymmetric ways to hold us at risk. Our internet cable network looks like an increasingly vulnerable soft underbelly.”
The letter went on to say: “Harmonized approaches must be developed for the subsea cables ecosystem, aiming to align security objectives with operational feasibility as well as a viable business model and based on proportionate and risk-based best practices, developed in close consultation with industry.”
The telecoms companies are now calling for the entire network of subsea cables to become classified as a critical infrastructure.
This is to make sure the cables are given enough protection and security from governments.
While it is not yet clear exactly what Russian forces are planning, fears are growing that they could be preparing a sabotage operation after a Russian spy ship known as the Yanter was spotted mapping out the subsea cables in recent months.
