Undersea optical cable network and cyber threats

Abstract

Almost all services and most of the traditional services are totally dependent on the digital environment. Few users are aware of the revolutionary nature of modern technology. We use day-to-day real-time access to existing digital services in our home country or we use social media (Some) to communicate with friends locally or elsewhere in the world. We can communicate with them in real time with text messages or even through real-time video feed. People have the choice of millions of movies to watch anytime, anywhere. Modern communications connect data centers and data networks of different continents together, enabling real-time communications throughout the world. We can order different goods from all over the world, pay invoices electronically and get the goods delivered to our door. Companies use the same channels of communication for daily communications, trading, sending invitations to tender and transferring money through banks in real time. As a result of the developments described above, people and systems produce huge amounts of data which needs to be processed and stored. However, technical solutions for all new service environments are not yet in line with international standards and their connections to telecommunications and service networks are very diverse. Technically outdated solutions and new technologies are used simultaneously. Future information and communication systems need to be designed and adapted to work in this challenging business environment where security threats and cybercrime are constantly present. Each function has its own service and communication needs depending on the user group. These groups include design and maintenance staff, financial management staff, telecom operators, service provider staff, virtual service providers and operators, administrative agents, citizens, manufacturers, banks, etc. To date no other technology apart from submarine cables systems has had such a strategic impact to our society while at the same time remaining so badly understood by the general population. This means that it is also a very tempting target for hackers and state actors. They seek access to the sea cables and networks connecting continents to each other.