This is CBS, I on the World. I'm John Batchel. I welcome Jack Burnham of the Foundation for the

Defense of Democracy, a research analyst to help me introduce the subject I had no knowledge of before I

read a report from FD. It turns on submarine cables. That's right. Something so fundamental that

we've been celebrating them, at least since the mid-19th century, when the first cable was

laid between Britain, I believe, and the United States. But now, Jack, a very good evening to you. Thank you. What is a submarine

cable and where are they? And what does it mean that they can be vulnerable? Vulnerable how? Good

evening to you. Thank you for having me. Submarine cables are critically important for the

functioning of a modern society.

So submarine cables carry about 95% of global internet traffic underneath the ocean's waves.

And these include things like commercial transactions, government services, and civilian communications.

Some marine cables are also critical for modern militaries, be able to carry messages across

the world's oceans to enable command and control for the U.S. military as well as other U.S.

allies and partners around the world.

So a submarine capable is how we communicate with each other, and we've come to depend upon them.

Are they reliable?

Do they break on themselves?

Do they cause enormous expenses for maintaining them?

Some green cables are certainly reliable, given the fact that they're far easier to fix, for example, than satellites, which

wants them to orbit are very hard to maintain and manage.

That being said, obviously accidents do happen, sometimes true accidents and storms or other

natural phenomena, and sometimes sabotage or suspected cases of sabotage.

So some marine cables are really seen as the go-to solution because of their ability to be laid easily

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