(Bloomberg) – FBI and Coast Guard investigators have discovered that hackers gained access to the propulsion system of an oil supertanker while it was approaching the Texas coast this summer. This incident highlights the increasing physical risks posed by cyberattacks, according to U.S. officials familiar with the investigation.
The hackers temporarily accessed the ship's digital systems, but officials are still looking into how this breach happened and who is responsible. It is unclear how long the hackers had access or what systems they could control on the ship.
This intrusion into the tanker’s propulsion system is particularly concerning, as it represents a serious violation of a ship's operations. This situation led U.S. authorities to board the VL Prosperity in August. The vessel is quite massive, longer than the Chrysler Building and as wide as a football field, and it was fully loaded and headed for Galveston.
The Coast Guard has not commented further on the incident, and the FBI has limited its responses to confirming that they boarded the VL Prosperity and another ship to ensure the integrity of their operational and IT systems due to signs of a network compromise.
The FBI stated that “currently, there are no reports of operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger to crews, or environmental impacts.”
The possibility that unknown hackers could remotely control such a large vessel has raised alarms among U.S. military and intelligence officials. It underscores ongoing concerns about cyberattacks targeting the maritime industry, where ships are increasingly reliant on networked systems for various operations, including navigation and communication.
Alex Soukhanov from True North Group, which focuses on maritime cybersecurity, noted that while confirmed hacks of ship systems are rare, their potential impact can be significant.
“These are the largest moving objects in the world transporting the world’s economy,” Soukhanov, a licensed ship captain, emphasized. “We just can't allow this type of unauthorized access. Every mariner should be very concerned.”
In late August, a joint team of Coast Guard and FBI agents boarded the VL Prosperity after it lost communication, raising suspicions that hackers had compromised its network. That same month, they also boarded another vessel in the Gulf of Mexico due to a suspected cyber threat.
By September, U.S. agencies were monitoring cyber threats aimed at nearly 20 ships worldwide, prompting the Coast Guard to request advance notice if any of those vessels planned to enter a U.S. port.
Svante Einarsson, head of cybersecurity at the maritime advisory firm DNV, stated that a cyberattack causing a large vessel carrying hazardous materials to lose some operational functions would be the “worst-case scenario.” However, he noted that most vessels have backup systems in place to maintain operations.
As of now, the Prosperity remains anchored off the coast of Galveston, according to shipping data.