一位部长表示，必须加强一项不完善的19世纪法律，以威慑破坏者袭击英国的关键海底电缆和管道。
An inadequate law from the 19th century must be strengthened to deter saboteurs from attacking the UK's critical undersea cables and pipelines, a minister has said.
电信部长伊恩·默里在天空新闻国防内幕应用上表示，他将“尽快”更新法律，确保对针对这类基础设施的敌对行为者施以远为严厉的惩罚，这些基础设施承载了该国绝大部分的数据和天然气供应。
Telecoms minister Ian Murray told the Sky News Defence Insider app that he would move "as quickly as possible" to update the law and ensure far greater punishments can be imposed on hostile actors who target such infrastructure, which carries the bulk of the nation's data and gas supplies.
拟议的制裁包括将最高刑期从5年延长至14年，并有权处以无限额罚款。
Proposed sanctions include extending a maximum prison term from 5 to 14 years, and the ability to impose unlimited fines.
俄罗斯被指控在英国以北水域利用三艘潜艇对电缆和管道进行秘密行动。任何更新后的立法都不会用于针对敌对国家。
Russia has been accused of conducting a covert operation over cables and pipelines in waters north of the UK, using three submarines. Any updated legislation would not be used against hostile states.
然而，克里姆林宫被认为雇佣罪犯和其他代理人代表其进行破坏行为。该法将适用于此类个人。默里表示，他希望如此长的刑期能起到威慑作用。
However, the Kremlin is believed to hire criminals and other proxies to conduct acts of sabotage on its behalf. The law would apply to such individuals. Mr Murray said he hoped that the prospect of such a length prison term would act as a deterrence.
“海底电缆是现代英国的隐形支柱，承载着我们每天依赖的数据，用于给朋友和家人发信息、进行银行业务以及经营我们的企业，”该部长在另一份声明中表示。
"Undersea cables are the hidden backbone of modern Britain, carrying the data we rely on every day to message friends and family, do our banking, and run our businesses," the minister said separately in a statement.
“我们面临的威胁发生了巨大变化，在关键海底基础设施周围出现了可疑的俄罗斯活动，然而保护这些重要连接的一些法律已有上百年历史。”
"The threats we face have changed dramatically, with suspicious Russian activity around critical undersea infrastructure, yet some of the laws protecting these vital connections date back more than a century.
“我们打算对这些法律进行现代化改造，加重处罚，强化对行业的要求，并赋予新的权力以保护国家安全，确保英国的关键基础设施能够应对当下和未来的威胁。” 批准的北海钻探计划会降低能源账单吗？ 关键线索或有助于提前数年预测前列腺癌 铺设在海底的光纤电缆承载着英国约 99% 的国际数据，支撑着从消息、视频通话到网上银行和购物的一切活动。
"We intend to modernise those laws with tougher penalties, stronger requirements on industry and new powers to protect our national security, making sure the UK's critical infrastructure is fit for the threats of today and tomorrow." Will approved North sea drilling plans bring down energy bills? Vital clues could help predict prostate cancer years in advance Fibre-optic cables running along the seabed carry around 99% of the UK's international data, underpinning everything from messages and video calls to online banking and shopping.
这一数据流若遭受任何重大中断，都将面临使日常生活瘫痪的风险，并可能对经济造成毁灭性打击。
Any significant disruption in this flow of data would risk derailing daily life and could have a devastating impact on the economy.
对于提供全国 74% 天然气供应的海底管道以及海底电力电缆网络遭受的任何攻击，情况也是如此。
The same is true for any attack against the UK's undersea pipelines that provide 74% of the nation's gas supply as well as its grid of undersea electricity cables.
政府正推动更新管辖水下基础设施的立法，现行立法可追溯至 1885 年。政府将于周四发布一份白皮书，阐述其提案，其中还包括要求提供海底电缆和管道的公司在识别破坏和间谍风险方面做得更多。政府将在未来 12 周内就该文件征求业界和其他专家的意见。穆雷表示，立法将在本届议会任期内完成更新。
In its push to update legislation governing underwater infrastructure, which dates back to 1885, the government is publishing a white paper on Thursday that sets out its proposals, which also includes requiring the companies that provide the subsea cables and pipelines to do more to identify sabotage and espionage risks. The government is seeking views on the document from industry and other experts over the next 12 weeks. Mr Murray said the legislation would be updated in the current parliament.