FBI seeks vandals who cut Bay Area fiber-optic cables

SFGate ^ | 6/16/15 | Henry K. Lee

[Kartographer]

The FBI asked for the public’s help Monday in identifying people who have severed underground fiber-optic cables throughout the Bay Area.

Over the past year, vandals have used tools to intentionally cut the cables in Berkeley, Fremont, Alamo, Walnut Creek and San Jose in 10 separate incidents, most of which happened in the middle of the night, said FBI Special Agent Greg Wuthrich. The cost of the damage was not discosed.

The FBI is coordinating the investigation, which involves several local law enforcement agencies, Wuthrich said.

The cases are not related to a mysterious rifle attack on a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. substation near San Jose on April 16, 2013, that damaged 17 transformers and caused $15 million in damage, authorities said.

But in April 2009, vandals cut underground fiber-optic cables at four sites, knocking out landlines, cell phones and Internet service for tens of thousands of people in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.

[Kartographer]

Practice runs?

[SkyDancer]

Maybe they were trying to steal virtual copper.

[CGASMIA68]

fiber is great but not when everyone is riding on it and its not a redundant ring

[RightGeek]

In the 70’s-90’s the Bay Area had a number of cases of utility poles being cut most of the way through or bolts removed from utility towers. Seems to be a popular sport for leftist wingnuts.

[VRWCarea51]

The cases are not related to a mysterious rifle attack on a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. substation near San Jose on April 16, 2013, that damaged 17 transformers and caused $15 million in damage, authorities said.

So says those who need help finding out who destroyed the Fiber connections? Taking down both power and communications seems like it could be related, ya think?

[Major Matt Mason]

Maybe its the same people that hacked into the St. Louis Cardinals' computers. Glad to see the FBI is on the case. (/s)

[omega4412]

So if the attacks on the fiber optics are mysterious, how do the “authorities” know that these attacks are unrelated to the rifle attack on the PG&E substation? The most the FBI could say is that no evidence of a connection has been found yet.

[nickcarraway]

Sounds like something com cast would do?

[dayglored]

And you think YOU had a bad day.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g100/dayglored/fiber-cable-fouled.jpg

[nickcarraway]

No, the Cardinals were the ones allegedly hacking.

[Covenantor]

...vandals have used tools to intentionally cut the cables....

FBI should be looking at Greenpeace, ElF, and PETA because TOOLS were used instead of cable gnawing beavers or squirrels.

[VRWCarea51]

Someone forgot to call miss dig.

[Former Proud Canadian]

"The cases are not related to a mysterious rifle attack on a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. substation near San Jose on April 16, 2013, that damaged 17 transformers and caused $15 million in damage, authorities said."

How do they know this?

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Looks like they caught some of Rachel Dolezal’s ‘braids’.

[Organic Panic]

Being the Bay area I put my money on earth firster treehugger types.

[5th MEB]

Should have called Underground Alert!

[FreedomPoster]

Or random Anarchists. There are just a plethora of likely suspects out there.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Yep

[Regulator]

Salesguys for satellite internet

[MeganC]

I suspect someone is purposefully disrupting the fiber connections in order to take advantage of the split-second when traffic is rerouted in order to hijack secure communications.

Breaking these fiber connections would interrupt VPN traffic and someone might be using that moment to commit a crime online.

I’d suspect China first and Russia second. Sadly, I’d also consider the NSA or some other US Government agency as a possible suspect that would want to disrupt secure communications in Silicon Valley so they could hijack or intercept those communications when they’re rerouted...perhaps through someplace in Utah.