Britain to step up subsea cable protection on rising Russian threat

LONDON, May 29 (Reuters) - Britain said ​shipowners and operators ⁠who recklessly damaged subsea internet ​cables could face tougher penalties, including prison sentences, under proposals to help deter Russia and other hostile ​states ‌from sabotaging vital national infrastructure.

Subsea cables carry over 99% of international data traffic, underpinning more than £1.4 ⁠trillion in British financial transactions daily as well ⁠as calls, messaging and other internet ​services.

Last month, Britain said it had exposed a covert Russian submarine operation in and around UK waters that was a bluff to hide other specialist vessels active near ​critical underwater infrastructure.

Telecoms ‌minister Liz Lloyd said Britain had strong military capabilities to protect cables, but overhauling 140-year-old legislation would remove a legal "grey zone" around suspected malicious activity to increase deterrence.

"As hostile activity by Russia and others grows, protecting these cables matters more ​than ever for our economy, security and daily lives," she said in a speech ‌at the Royal United Services Institute on Friday.

"That is why we plan to go further with tougher penalties for reckless ‌damage, stronger security obligations and new powers to respond quickly when incidents happen."

Russia has previously denied British claims that it had targeted or threatened subsea cables.

Lloyd said sabotage ​by a hostile state already carried a penalty of life imprisonment for those involved, but the ‌new laws would cover the use of proxies by state actors and reckless damage.

The government would also work with cable operators and owners to reduce accidental damage arising ⁠from fishing ⁠activity or vessels dragging anchors, which accounted for nearly ‌all cable outages, she said.

It was consulting the industry on establishing a British-flagged repair ship to increase resilience, ​Lloyd said, adding that ​a decision would be made later this year.

The ‌government would also review environmental red tape to speed up the laying of new cables, particularly in deep waters where the impact on marine life was extremely limited, she added. (Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)