FEATURE
RETHINKING
SUBMARINE CABLE CYBERSECURITY IN THE AGE OF SMART CABLES TECHNOLOGY AND THE NIS2 EU DIRECTIVE: The Future is Just Around the Corner! BY JOSÉ AMARO
I
magine a network of nerves running across the ocean floor, silently pulsing with the world’s heartbeat—each strand transmitting trillions of data, fueling economies, enabling global communication, and protecting national security. These cables, though invisible to most, are the backbone of the digital economy, supporting everything from financial transactions to military communications. However, beneath these “calm waters,” lies a fragile system, now classified as critical infrastructure under the NIS2 Directive (Article 2(2)(d)), vulnerable to cyberattacks, natural disasters, and geopolitical sabotage. With the introduction of the NIS2 Directive by the European Union, the approach to securing subsea cables has expanded beyond physical protection to embrace cybersecurity as a core component of resilience (Article 21(1)). Operators of these critical infrastructures must adopt advanced cyber risk management strategies to protect
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against the increasingly sophisticated threats posed by both physical and digital attacks. NIS2 calls for infrastructures to go beyond basic measures, requiring the integration of new technologies, such as SMART Cables (Science MonitoringAnd Reliable Telecommunications), to create dynamic, “cyber-aware” ecosystems that enhance real-time incident detection and response. Historically, subsea cables were treated merely as passive channels for data transmission. However, in the current digital environment, these cables have assumed a central role as essential components of each country’s digital sovereignty (Article 3). Any disruption, even brief, can have catastrophic consequences, halting financial transactions or interrupting critical national defense communications. The NIS2 Directive addresses this new reality by expanding its scope to include operators of essential services like subsea cables (Article 2), making them a vital part of the EU’s