A significant fibre optic cable was severed close to Aix-en-Provence, France, slowing down worldwide internet service. According to experts, the cable was intentionally severed in an “act of vandalism”; others have called it “sabotage,” according to the cybersecurity firm Zscaler.
A fibre optic cable break at a key landing site for numerous undersea internet cables early on October 18 led to a cascade of connection issues throughout Europe and beyond. Internet cable connections between Marseille and Lyon, Marseille and Milan, and Marseille and Barcelona were particularly interrupted.
The vandalism, according to Jay Chaudhry, CEO of Zscaler, disrupted connections all across the world.
“We are aware of a significant cable cut that has affected necessary undersea cables connecting to Asia, Europe, the US, and maybe other areas of the world in the South of France… Customers could experience packet loss and/or delay while using websites and apps that use these impacted pathways, Chaudhry said.
French authorities are presently looking into the cable cutting, according to Zscaler. By October 20, the cable’s repairs were finished. Police officials have not yet taken any suspects into custody. Although some have speculated that Russia could be responsible for the sabotage, there is no proof to back up these assertions.
There have been several severed internet cables recently, particularly in the UK. A recent “submarine cable” failure has been attributed to a fishing boat off the coast of northern Scotland.
