To ensure the security of submarine cables, the US military expands cyber defense deployment in the Pacific

As the United States warns that China is targeting critical submarine cable networks in the Pacific and expresses concern about the security of submarine cables, the U.S. Pacific Command expanded its network security deployment in Hawaii and established a regional center to strengthen prevention of threats and damage to the regional communication cable network.

The South China Morning Post reported on the 6th that Brigadier General Michael Smith, director of command, control, communications, computers and network affairs at the U.S. Pacific Command, said last week that personnel had been deployed from Maryland to Hawaii under an initiative called "Cyber ​​Defense Forces Pacific" to "provide an additional layer of cyber security defense for this theater." The personnel are assigned to the Pacific Division of the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), but the exact number has not been made public.

In addition, the DISA Pacific Division also established a regional center last month to monitor military communications networks and identify various submarine cable damage, electromagnetic spectrum issues, and communication interruptions originating from the United States but affecting this region that may affect operations in the Pacific. However, these measures are not explicitly linked to China.

Most intercontinental internet data travels via undersea cables, and damage to these cables could disrupt communications or force data to be diverted to alternative routes. These submarine cables may also be targeted by hostile forces trying to access the cables to intercept information. The "U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission" (USCC) under the U.S. Congress issued a research report in September warning that China has developed the ability to destroy key submarine cables. The submarine cable lines connecting the U.S. mainland to Hawaii and Guam are particularly vulnerable due to limited alternative options.

Michael Hlad, commander of the Defense Information Systems Agency's Pacific Division, said that an assessment last year found that existing U.S. military deployments were "not in the appropriate posture necessary" to respond to regional needs. The new regional center will increase the division's manpower by about 20%. He pointed out that the Pacific Cyber ​​Defense Force initiative has been tested in the recent US-Japan "Keen Edge" joint command post military exercise, and the defense ministers of the two countries also agreed to strengthen cooperation to prevent "malicious cyber activities" and strengthen the communication capabilities needed to coordinate military activities in the Pacific.