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Russian ship loitering near undersea cables

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31–40 of 66 posts

Re: Russian ship loitering near undersea cables

#31

Neal Stephenson wrote a bit about this in Cryptonomicon; laying new undersea cable is both expensive and time consuming, but the cost of cutting existing ones is fairly low. So if any sufficiently-funded individual, corporation, or nation-state wanted to hold a gun to the world's head, cutting undersea data cables wouldn't be a bad way to do it. The problem is, you can't make that kind of threat in a subtle way, so t…

Neil Stephenson wrote a heck of a whole lot about undersea cables in 1996. Highly, highly recommended. https://www.wired.com/1996/12/ffglass/

Re: Russian ship loitering near undersea cables

#33

Ships do not "loiter" in international waters. "Loiter" implies the loiterer is violating some rights the accuser imagines himself to have. Russia may be simply legally installing its surveillance equipment on cables it found in international waters. There's no 'loitering' involved here. I invite you to study the speeches of Anson Chan, less you believe that this irritating political weasel-wording we are so used to…

> Loiter" implies the loiterer is violating some rights the accuser imagines himself to have

That's not what my dictionary says.

To stand about without any aim or purpose; to stand about idly; to linger; to hang around.

Used appropriately by source.

Re: Russian ship loitering near undersea cables

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm less concerned about denial of service via cutting cables, and more concerned about the tapping of cables for wholesale data snarfing.

I don't think you have to choose.

Exactly... tap whichever ones you want, cut the rest. Two birds, one insane stone.

Re: Russian ship loitering near undersea cables

#35
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are very accurate maps available publicly. When a ship lays anchor it's not just the end but can end up being a mile of chain as the real holding force(with the ship bouncing around). Fishermen are able to damage cables as well

If you could source that very accurate map that's available publicly I'd be very appreciative; I can only find the paper version for sale and don't want to pay $100 for something that will only arrive in a few weeks. The lines on the images that are being circulated are not accurate in the least, they are very rough estimates.

Paper and $100 is still very public, we're just spoiled. It's also going to cost you less time contacting/accessing each website individually.

You might have some luck with RL social networking.

Or could settle for info graphic form(and link/contact info) at submarinecablemap.com

Re: Russian ship loitering near undersea cables

#37

Russia is doing a lot of fearmongering in the run-up to the US elections. I stumbled across some agitprop on Twitter yesterday, where I read that Russia was recalling all students who were studying abroad. Out of curiosity (to say the least) I tracked down the source article, which was a) not available in English, and b) just Russians criticizing privileged Russians who sent their kids abroad to study. Looking around…

And yet American citizens were unable to influence either party enough to have them submit a viable candidate.

Re: Russian ship loitering near undersea cables

#38
post #17

Seems like at this point you're really depending on encryption to keep your data safe. You have to assume one or more entities is poring through your bits looking for interesting information.

and also logging the bits forever so that they can reinterpret what is "interesting" at a future date.

Re: Russian ship loitering near undersea cables

#39

Russia is doing a lot of fearmongering in the run-up to the US elections. I stumbled across some agitprop on Twitter yesterday, where I read that Russia was recalling all students who were studying abroad. Out of curiosity (to say the least) I tracked down the source article, which was a) not available in English, and b) just Russians criticizing privileged Russians who sent their kids abroad to study. Looking around…

What amazes me is that they think that getting the far right in power in the West is going to be good for Russia. Because, you know, things went so well for Russia the last time these people were in power...

Re: Russian ship loitering near undersea cables

#40

Ships do not "loiter" in international waters. "Loiter" implies the loiterer is violating some rights the accuser imagines himself to have. Russia may be simply legally installing its surveillance equipment on cables it found in international waters. There's no 'loitering' involved here. I invite you to study the speeches of Anson Chan, less you believe that this irritating political weasel-wording we are so used to…

> Russia may be simply legally installing its surveillance equipment on cables it found in international waters.

I'm fairly certain active communications cables don't fall under marine salvage.

edit: http://cil.nus.edu.sg/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Beckman-... states "Articles 113-115 of UNCLOS provide for the protection of submarine cables beneath the high seas. These articles are also applicable in the EEZ because of article 58(2)." Russia has signed and ratified https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_t....

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