FBI Concerned Over Potential Fiber Optic Attacks During Super Bowl 50
SANTA CLARA (KPIX 5) -- KPIX 5 has learned that the FBI and Homeland Security are concerned about possible threats against Super Bowl 50.
The government report sent just this month to Bay Area law enforcement was recently leaked. Among threats it expresses concern for are potential attacks on fiber optic lines.
There have been several attacks in the past on Bay Area fiber optic lines. None of those cases have been solved.
"If the fiber optic cables get cut, it impacts financial institutions, impacts Silicon Valley, it impacts a lot of infrastructure in that area," retired Assistant Special Agent In Charge Jeffrey Harp told KPIX 5.
One potential security threat to a successful Super Bowl is a gadget thousands of Americans got for Christmas: the drone.
"If someone were to use a drone to disperse something, it could be a potentially hazardous situation," Harp said.
Also on the list are potential attacks on crowds outside the stadium.
"There's going to be law enforcement secreted around the stadium that you are not going to see or know about. They are there," Harp said.
But, Harp says the biggest security threat is a repeat of something we saw in in San Bernardino: one or a few individuals who managed to slip through the security gauntlet.
"It's the lone wolf. It's the individual who is self-radicalized that creates a problem that you can't detect. There's only so much the FBI can do with regard to surveillance within the guidelines of the constitution," Harp said.
It's important to note there are no credible security threats to the Super Bowl. Harp says it's still important to follow a safety rule we always hear on airplanes: Always know where the exits are, they could save your life.
