FBI Probes Fiber-Optic web Saboteurs In California

The suspects attacked the fiber-optic cables that raise the web—the eleventh such incident prior to now yr.

July 2, 2015

After a mysterious internet outage this week affected consumers in the San Francisco Bay house—even attaining so far as Seattle—the FBI published it’s investigating the incident. The Bay space’s bodily internet infrastructure has been attacked with the aid of highly skilled saboteurs on ten different events up to now year on my own.

in step with the San Francisco Chronicle, the outage occurred on Tuesday and vandalized cables owned via stage 3 Communications and Zayo. The attack primarily disrupted provider for Wave Broadband, a well-liked west coast web carrier provider.

“Three major fiber cables connecting the area have been physically severed in what seems to be a coordinated attack on multiple web carriers starting at 4:20 a.m. Tuesday morning,” Wave referred to in a remark.

The FBI disputes Wave’s claims of a “coordinated attack,” however said as a minimum 10 similar, mysterious attacks on fiber optic cable have taken situation due to the fact July 2014. in step with the agency, the attacks required particular telecommunications data, in addition to acquiring get admission to to underground utility bunkers and chopping thru conduit sheathing.

“The people could seem like customary telecommunications upkeep staff or possess tools consistent with that job role,” the FBI mentioned in a statement, The Hill reviews.

nobody has claimed responsibility for the assaults, and the purpose remains unknown at the time of writing.

[by way of The Hill]

[picture: Flickr user Andrew Hart]

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