Federal investigators appear stymied by an attacker who has cut fiber optic cables at a dozen locations around California.

The attacker would cut cable that knock out internet service, financial networks and even disable emergency services.

“Everyone recognizes that there seems to be a pattern of events here,” said John Lightfoot, assistant deputy agent in charge at the FBI’s San Francisco office. “We really need the assistance of the public to reach out and help solve this one.”

Experts say the fiber optic networks that carry internet and business traffic are very vulnerable to attack when compared to systems like the national electrical grid.  Most of the cables are in manholes or smaller hand-holes in out of the way locations in cities and rural areas, making it easy for an attacker to find wires and cut them without anyone seeing their actions.

“You don’t have to be well-trained to know that there is cable,” Felipe Alvarez, chief executive of East Coast telecom provider Axiom Fiber Networks, told the Wall Street Journal. “That is worrisome.”

Many of the cables are clearly marked for identification to avoid accidental cutting by work crews making them easy targets for the criminals.

While many intentional cuts come from thieves looking to take copper wire to sell, the FBI and regional anti-terror task force agents in California say the pattern of cuts is troubling.  The most recent cut in California impacted internet services along the entire West Coast.