Fiber optic cables were severed by attackers in San Francisco area

Someone intentionally cut two AT&T cables in Livermore, a California suburb located in the San Francisco Bay Area, on Monday night. The latest of 14 attacks against California’s Internet privately run backbone since last summer.

AT&T’s fiber optic network is legally considered an important piece of U.S Internet infrastructure, so FBI already opened an investigation. Any attackers are subjects to state and federal prosecution.

Livermore is home to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and many high-tech commuters. Fiber optic cables carry huge amounts of data, from calls to computer transactions. AT&T spokesman Jim Greer said it is a serious matter that affects public safety at large.

According to the FBI, whoever has been attacking the high-capacity lines, opens the vaults on the ground, goes inside and then severs the cables’ protective metal conduit before cutting the cables. Security experts consider it is being done by a disgusted employee or terrorists probing how long takes to repair nation’s Internet infrastructure after the cuts.

Source: USA Today