On March 12, 2025, the webinar “Submarine cables and the strategic relevance of critical connectivity infrastructure, sponsored by MIMIT in collaboration with Cyber 4.0 and the Graduate School of Specialization in Telecommunications, was held online.
Organized as part of the cycle of seminars on cybersecurity that the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy has scheduled in collaboration with Cyber 4.0, the webinar gave participants an opportunity to learn more about regulatory aspects, technological and geopolitical developments related to submarine cables and related critical issues.
The development of the global system of submarine telecommunications cables , through which each country’s main information passes, raises, in fact, several security issues. Submarine cables are vulnerable to a multiplicity of threats, both natural and man-made, about which it is essential to have up-to-date knowledge in the contemporary context. These cables, for example, can become targets of intelligence operations by hostile states, projected to steal, disrupt or alter the flow of data. Another risk is related to the possibility of accidental damage resulting from human activities such as trawling or ship anchoring.
During the guest speakers’ reports at the meeting, a number of key points emerged, including the need to work toward development and regulatory convergence, the spread of skills and control systems, greater integration of supply chains, and attractive investment conditions that see the active involvement of private individuals and local entities, with a focus on thegoal to be achieved: safeguarding the security of the infrastructure and creating a viable, sustainable and secure digital ecosystem.
Interventions:
Introduction: Eva Spina, Head of the Department for Digital, Connectivity and New Technologies, MIMIT
Matteo Lucchetti, Operations Director of the Cyber 4.0 Competence Center
The European Strategy for Submarine Cable Security and Resilience: Franco Accordino, Head of Unit “Investment in High-Capacity Networks,” European Commission (DGCNECT)
The Protection of Underwater Infrastructure in the Globalized Free Market: Francesca Martini, Researcher of Administrative Law, Centro Alti Studi Difesa (CASD) – Scuola Superiore Universitaria a Ordinamento Speciale
Geopolitical Scenarios of Submarine Cables: Antonio Deruda, Lecturer and Analyst of Digital Geopolitics
Safety in submarine cables: Luisa Franchina, CEO of Hermes Bay s.r.l.
Challenges for companies in the submarine cable supply chain: Fabio Paolo Panunzi Capuano, chief business development officer, Sparkle
Upcoming Appointments
The cybersecurity online seminar series will continue on April 10, 2025, with the webinar“The Data Center Challenge: Standards, Regulations, Investments and New Technologies.”
Click here for more information or to register for the next meeting.