A new report on internet disruptions from content delivery network provider Cloudflare Inc., released today, finds that the main cause of disruptions in the first quarter was damage to terrestrial and submarine cables, followed by government-direct internet shutdowns, cyberattacks, technical issues and power outages.

That damage to submarine cables led the pack for internet disruptions in the quarter comes as no surprise given the attack by Houthi Rebels on major cables carrying data in the Red Sea, the waterway between Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that connects Europe with Asia, in February. The Houthi attacks saw the Seacom/Tata cable, Asia Africa Europe-1 and Europe India Gateway cut. The report noted that they were likely taken out intentionally by a cargo ship’s anchor.

The subsea cable damage in the Red Sea was not the only cable disruption in the quarter. Multiple cables, including the Africa Coast to Europe, Submarine Atlantic 3/West Africa Submarine Cable, West Africa Cable System and MainOne, were also damaged by underwater rock falls in the quarter, affecting internet connectivity across several African countries.

Military actions linked to geopolitical conflicts also led to internet disruptions, with war-torn countries, including Sudan and Ukraine, suffering significant losses of connectivity. In non-war zones, several countries, including Pakistan, Senegal, and Chad, were found to have shut down or heavily restricted internet access during political unrest and elections.

Cyberattacks, often politically motivated, also resulted in disrupted internet services in countries such as Israel and Bahrain in the quarter. The report notes that the disruptions highlight the ongoing threat posed by cyberattacks and the need for better cybersecurity measures to protect internet infrastructure.

Not all internet disruptions were directly caused by human attacks, as technical issues and power outages also caused issues. On the technical side, DNS and DNSSEC issues and the misuse of Resource Public Key Infrastructure led to significant disruptions, such as in the case of Orange España.

Power outages and maintenance-related disruptions also cause issues. Power outages in Tajikistan and Tanzania significantly affected internet traffic, while maintenance activities in Egypt and Myanmar led to temporary service disruptions.

The report concludes by noting that “two notable submarine cable damage events during the first quarter again highlighted the importance of protecting submarine cables and the risks associated with them passing through/near geopolitically sensitive areas. Given the reliance on submarine cables for carrying Internet traffic, this will continue to be an issue for many years to come.”

Photo: Picryl