GOP senator calls for action on Russian threat to Internet cables

By Charles Hoskinson, Charles Hoskinson

Published December 20, 2015

Congress needs to address the growing threat Russia presents to the undersea cables that carry 95 percent of all global Internet traffic, including U.S. military communications, Sen. Roger Wicker said Wednesday after a classified briefing.

"The United States needs to take seriously the growing Russian threat to these cables," the Mississippi Republican said, citing published reports that Russian submarines and spy ships were shadowing the cables, raising fears they could hack into them, or cut them.

"Moving forward, Congress has an obligation to assist the administration in protecting American interests from our adversaries. In the coming weeks, I will be working with my colleagues to help provide our military and intelligence agencies with the tools they need to fulfill that mission."

Wicker arranged for the briefing by officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Naval Intelligence, Department of Homeland Security, and Joint Operations Division for U.S. European Command after an Oct. 25 New York Times report on the issue.