US Coast Guard and FBI inspect tanker over possible cyberattack
The US Coast Guard and FBI agents boarded a commercial oil tanker bound for Galveston, Texas, in August. The inspection was carried out after the agency detected signs of possible interference by a foreign actor in the vessel’s network, CBS News reports.
Inspection of the vessel’s systems
A specialized team boarded the vessel on August 21. It included personnel from the Coast Guard’s law enforcement unit, a vessel inspector, specialists from the Coast Guard Cyber Protection Team, and operators from the FBI Cyber Action Team. They inspected the tanker’s operational and information systems and worked with the crew and the vessel’s corporate operators to mitigate the threat.
The Coast Guard did not name the vessel, but Iranian media identified it as the VL Prosperity. It is a supertanker 333 meters long that can carry about 2.3 million barrels of oil. According to open vessel-tracking data, the Liberian-flagged tanker was heading to Galveston. South Korean company HMM Ocean Service Co., Ltd., which manages VL Prosperity, confirmed that Coast Guard representatives boarded the vessel.
Unconfirmed claims of an attack
On August 20, the Iranian agency Mehr reported that the vessel had been attacked and lost communications on August 7 while sailing from Egypt’s Sidi Kerir terminal to the United States. Iranian state media also claimed that communications were lost for 30 hours and that the attackers allegedly gained control of the propulsion, navigation, and cargo systems.
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Citing an unnamed crew member, Mehr said that the attackers penetrated the engine room systems, reduced engine cooling flow, increased its revolutions, and interfered with fuel and lubrication systems. These claims have not been independently confirmed.
US authorities did not specify the scale of the possible breach or attribute it to a particular perpetrator. As of September 16, the Coast Guard said it had no reports of disruptions to the vessel’s operations, instability, physical danger to the crew, or environmental impact. HMM said the company has strict cyber protocols for the safety of vessels under its management.
Reports after passing through the strait
The first unconfirmed reports of the incident emerged after the vessel passed through the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco. After Mehr’s publication, Iranian state media circulated claims of an attack, while the United States confirmed only signs of a possible compromise of the tanker’s network.
