Federal investigators boarded two foreign-flagged oil and gas tankers bound for the United States last month after discovering signs their onboard networks had been compromised by cyberattacks. Officials say the crews cooperated fully, and no operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger, or environmental harm resulted from the intrusions.
The FBI and U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the twin investigations in a joint statement, according to Fox 5 San Diego, which reported that officials have not identified a potential culprit responsible for either breach. On Aug. 21, a highly specialized team boarded the first tanker after indications that a foreign cyber actor had compromised its network, and a second tanker received a similar boarding by U.S. officials on Aug. 24, according to ABC News.
One of the two vessels was identified in reporting as the VL Prosperity, a Liberian-flagged supertanker stretching 333 meters and capable of hauling roughly 2.3 million barrels of oil, which was headed for Galveston, Texas, per CBS News. Reports conflict on where the Aug. 21 boarding of that ship occurred: CBS News placed it in the Atlantic, while an Associated Press account carried by WIVB said the multiagency team boarded both vessels in the Gulf of Mexico. The second tanker, which carried liquefied natural gas, has not been publicly identified, according to ShipUniverse.
Specialized Teams Combed Ship Systems for Damage
The boarding crews were not routine safety inspectors. CBS News reported the team included Coast Guard law-enforcement personnel, a vessel inspector, members of the Coast Guard Cyber Protection Team, and FBI Cyber Action Team operators who examined both the vessel's operational technology and information-technology systems, working alongside the crew and corporate operators to eradicate the threat.
Despite the alarming nature of a hacked oil tanker steaming toward American ports, officials emphasized that the intrusions caused no operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger to crews, or environmental impacts, the AP report carried by WIVB noted. The crews of both ships cooperated with investigators throughout the process, the same account said.
Broader Threat to Maritime Safety Looms Over the Case
The incidents arrive as concerns grow around the threat to maritime safety posed by hackers interfering with vessels' electronic systems, according to Bloomberg. Cybersecurity firm Cydome has separately assessed that maritime assets — from tankers and container ships to offshore platforms — are increasingly firm targets in cyber warfare, per Industrial Cyber, which cited threat intelligence pointing to a rise in highly targeted attacks on maritime companies and vessels.
Researchers cited by the same outlet noted that satellite communication systems aboard ships may be vulnerable to remote compromise through weaknesses such as factory-set passwords. Industrial Cyber also referenced a separate, unverified claim by a group called Lab Dookhtegan that it disrupted the external and internal communications of 116 Iranian oil tankers tied to two government-owned companies — though the outlet cautioned there is no additional evidence confirming that alleged attack or its results.
U.S. authorities have not attributed either of the recent tanker intrusions to Iran or any other specific actor. The FBI and Coast Guard statement, as reported by Fox 5 San Diego, made clear that no culprit has been identified in connection with either breach, leaving the source of the compromise an open question; both vessels were bound for U.S. destinations.
