US monitors cyber threats against nearly 20 ships worldwide

(Bloomberg) — U.S. government agencies are monitoring cyber threats against nearly 20 vessels around the world, according to U.S. officials familiar with the situation.

The Coast Guard has requested advance notice if any of those ships plan to enter a U.S. port, the three people said, asking not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The specific destinations and manifests of the vessels were not immediately known.

In late August, several commercial vessels were targeted in potential cyberattacks, one official with the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Administration said, noting that the hackers did not appear to have taken control of the targeted ships themselves. The Coast Guard is now monitoring the vessels along with FBI and Department of Homeland Security units, a Homeland Security official said.

Warnings of cyber attacks targeting the maritime sector have escalated in recent years as shipping vessels become increasingly dependent on digital systems for navigation, communications and other operations. Governments and security researchers have repeatedly warned that hackers are trying to exploit these systems to disrupt supply chains. Cyber risks plague the global shipping industry, which is already under pressure from wars and geopolitical rivalries.

The U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement that it boarded two foreign-flagged merchant vessels in the Gulf of Mexico to “ensure the integrity of the vessel’s operational and information technology systems following an indication that both vessels’ networks were compromised.” The first vessel was embarked on 21 August to mitigate threats and the second on 24 August.

“There are currently no reports of operational malfunctions, vessel instability, physical danger to crews or environmental impacts,” the Coast Guard said, adding that it is actively communicating with port operators, vessel owners and other stakeholders.

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