US Officials Warn Big Tech Companies About Undersea Cable Vulnerabilities

US Officials Warn Tech Giants Google and Meta About Vulnerabilities in Undersea Cables

US officials have issued a warning to big tech companies such as Google and Meta regarding potential vulnerabilities in the undersea cables that carry internet traffic across the Pacific Ocean. The concern stems from Chinese repair ships, specifically those operated by SB Submarine Systems (SBSS), a state-controlled company that has been found to intermittently hide their locations from tracking services.

This issue raises significant security risks for Silicon Valley giants that own and rely on the undersea fiber-optic cables. Google and Meta, among others, depend on specialized construction and repair firms, including foreign-owned ones, which US officials fear could compromise the security of both commercial and military data.

According to the Wall Street Journal report, US officials have privately briefed companies like Google and Meta about the potential threats posed by Chinese firms like SBSS. Specifically, vessels such as Fu Hai, Fu Tai, and Bold Maverick have been known to disappear from tracking systems while operating near Taiwan, Indonesia, and other coastal areas, raising suspicions among officials.

Undersea cables are vulnerable when brought to the surface for repairs, which is where concerns arise regarding the potential tapping of data, reconnaissance mapping, or even theft of intellectual property. There is also worry that these ships may lay cables for the Chinese military.

Despite these concerns, Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, claims to be unaware of the US concerns and defends Chinese companies’ right to conduct legal business. However, the intermittent inactivity of tracking beacons on SBSS vessels over the past five years has only fueled suspicions.

SBSS, originally a Chinese-British joint venture now majority owned by China Telecom, is in the process of acquiring the remaining stake from UK-based Global Marine Systems. A member of the Chinese Communist Party serves on the SBSS management team.

The US government has been taking measures to safeguard underwater cables since the Cold War, with recent concerns escalating due to China’s military expansion in the South China Sea. To mitigate risks, the US is funding Pacific cable projects and investing in infrastructure through companies like Google. Additionally, US cable ship company SubCom receives government payments to ensure its availability for critical repairs.