Beneath the ocean’s surface, hidden from view, lies a global nervous system. Thousands of miles of armored cables carry internet traffic, financial transactions, and military communications ...

Typical double-armored submarine fiber cable. Legend: 1) Polyethylene, 2) Mylar tape, 3) Galvanized steel wires, 4) Aluminum water barrier, 5) Polycarbonate, 6) Copper or aluminum tube ...

the cutter revealed by China targets so-called “armored cables,” lines with steel, rubber and polymer sheaths that make up the overwhelming majority of global data transmissions, the SCMP added.