
Coast Guard and FBI Investigate Maritime Cyberattacks on Foreign Tankers
In August 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard and FBI conducted joint offshore security boardings of two foreign commercial tankers in the Gulf of Mexico following cyberattacks that compromised their networks. The first vessel, carrying oil and natural gas, was hacked while transiting the Strait of Gibraltar and lost communications for over 30 hours. Authorities investigated potential Iranian involvement or threat actors exploiting U.S.-Iran tensions, as part of broader concerns about 'dark fleets' carrying sanctioned oil using digital masking techniques. This incident highlights the growing convergence of cybersecurity threats with critical infrastructure and supply chain security, particularly as nation-state actors increasingly target maritime operations to disrupt global commerce and energy transportation networks.
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