UK Government Outlines New Measures to Safeguard Undersea Internet Cables Amid Russian Interference Fears

According to the BBC UK, the government has put forward new protective measures for the United Kingdom's undersea internet cables in response to increased apprehension about interference from Russia. Ministers are slated to receive authority to mandate that telecom companies either remove or disable services during national security emergencies, and officials will be granted access to locations such as cable landing stations.

The government has also detailed plans to implement more severe criminal penalties for individuals found guilty of tampering with either undersea internet cables or energy pipelines. These new authorities would be supported by potential prison terms reaching up to 14 years for intentional actions, 10 years for reckless conduct, and two years for grossly negligent conduct, in addition to unlimited fines.

These developments occur amid growing worries about suspicious activities within UK waters, and concerns that existing legal powers have not kept pace with the growing significance of this infrastructure to national security. An extensive network of undersea cables and pipelines, which is mainly owned and operated by the private sector, is believed to carry nearly all of the UK's international data traffic and three-quarters of its gas supplies.

The growing importance of this undersea infrastructure prompted a parliamentary report last year, which warned of security weaknesses in sectors including transport, supply chains, financial services, and payment systems.

The UK has also accused Russia of utilizing spy ships to map undersea infrastructure. Last year, the Royal Navy reportedly tracked one such suspected vessel, identified as the Yantar, after it passed near UK waters. Last year, the Royal Navy reportedly tracked one such suspected vessel, identified as the Yantar, after it passed near UK waters. Russia has refuted these assertions, claiming the UK is escalating tensions through what it terms "anti-Russian alarmism."

In a policy paper released on Thursday, the government stated that it currently lacks emergency powers to manage incidents affecting undersea infrastructure. It noted that there are no equivalent powers currently in place for intervention in the water and air traffic sectors, and that broader powers for national emergencies might be too slow to be effective during a crisis.

The government is now proposing new powers that would enable it to compel telecoms companies to provide information or to modify or disable services in relation to specific threats or incidents. These changes will necessitate new legislation, which will be detailed following a consultation with industry that is scheduled to conclude in January.

Companies that refused to comply with the orders could be fined up to £17m or 10% of their global turnover. The orders would usually be made public, but the government added they could be kept secret on grounds of national security. The proposed powers are not intended to apply to companies managing energy infrastructure, although the document mentioned that new powers in that area are being considered separately.

Ministers expressed hope that the new powers would apply across the "full extent" of undersea services, including areas beyond the UK's territorial waters, which extend up to 12 nautical miles from the coast. However, the document acknowledged that this would likely require coordination with other nations, and the government was examining how its proposals compare to international equivalents. The document also noted the uncertainty regarding whether existing laws pertaining to undersea infrastructure, which date back to the Victorian era and were designed for telegraphic cables, could be applied to breaches involving modern fibre-optic cables.