Securing the global digital backbone: trends in international action plans for undersea cable security and resilience

Undersea cables are essential to global digital connectivity and support cross-border energy transmission. They face accidental risks from anchoring, fishing and environmental hazards, alongside intentional disruption through espionage, sabotage and hybrid coercion. Governments, regional organisations and industry are developing frameworks to strengthen prevention, detection, response, repair and deterrence. The European Union's 2025 Action Plan illustrates a multidomain approach through regulatory enhancement, harmonised protection, real-time situational awareness and investment in repair capacity, including a cable-vessel reserve. Initiatives in the Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia emphasise cooperative resilience-building and reduced regulatory barriers during emergency repairs, while industry guidance promotes governance, spatial planning and operational continuity. Nevertheless, protection remains fragmented because of jurisdictional gaps in exclusive economic zones and on the high seas, unequal monitoring and repair capabilities, and geopolitical competition over ownership, routing and standards. This study synthesises plans, identifies priorities and systemic gaps, and proposes strategies to enhance cable security and resilience.