As of late last week, local and federal investigators were proceeding with their probe into a burglary at a Midtown Manhattan telecommunications office involving the theft of several DS-3 cards that left a handful of corporate customers without Internet service for a full business day. Although the crime appears minor, it has raised major questions about the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure, as well as the curious relationships among competing service providers that share space in hundreds of similar facilities across the country. According to the New York City Police Department, three DS-3 networking cards were stolen May 2 from a New York CO (central office) of Verizon Communications Inc. This CO, also a co-location office housing competing carriers’ equipment, is one of the many hubs for the country’s voice and data networks and a key component of the nation’s critical infrastructure. Full Story