The recent suspected sabotage of the BCS East-West link fiber optic cable highlighted the challenge of protecting underwater cables from both malicious and negligent actors. As far as patrolling solutions go, in addition to the existing technology of satellite geospatial analysis, the emerging field of unscrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) - the AI-powered underwater drones - can aid governments and owners in protecting the submarine cables. Once widely adopted, however, AI-powered UUVs may open a new chapter in the catalogue of threats to submarine digital infrastructure.
[O]nce UUVs are ready for widespread use . . . the undersea internet cable cat-and-mouse game could change drastically, which UUV being used offensively as well as defensively.
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