Digital Energy Security and New Arteries of Power: Submarine Cables and Internet Networks in Geopolitical Conflict

During the twenty-first century, the world has witnessed accelerating technological transformations that have reshaped the nature and sources of power in the international system. Digital transformation has redefined the concept of strategic power: states no longer view energy as merely an economic resource, but rather as a sovereign resource and an instrument of influence and leverage in international interactions. In this context, energy security has become a point of intersection between economic, political, and security dimensions, at a time when the sources of power are no longer confined to control over land, natural resources, and traditional energy corridors, but have expanded to include digital infrastructure as one of the most important pillars of power and influence in this era. Hence the emergence of the concept of “digital energy security” as a concept reflecting the shift from the security of traditional energy flows to the security of data and information flows. Submarine cables, internet networks, and data centers constitute vital infrastructure for ensuring the continuity of communications and the flow of data, as well as economic, financial, security, and military services.

Submarine cables have also come to be regarded as the backbone of global communications; data has become a new strategic resource, and the infrastructure responsible for transmitting, storing, and operating it has turned into one of the arenas of contemporary geopolitical conflict among the major powers. Accordingly, control over oil and gas corridors and traditional energy sources is no longer the sole source of power and influence in the modern international system; submarine cables, telecommunications networks, and data centers have emerged as new strategic arteries of power. Consequently, securing this infrastructure and ensuring its resilience and operational continuity has become an integral part of a state’s national security, and of its ability to protect its interests and exercise influence in an international environment that relies on data and digital connectivity.