Hackers Access Oil Tanker Propulsion System Near Texas, U.S. Investigators Say

Hackers briefly got access to a digital system linked to the propulsion of a fully loaded oil tanker as it approached the Texas coast this summer, US officials familiar with the investigation said.

The FBI and US Coast Guard found the breach aboard the Liberian-flagged VL Prosperity after the tanker lost communications. Authorities also received information that its network had been compromised.

The attackers have not been identified. Investigators are still trying to find out how they got into the system, how long they had access and what they were able to control.

The 333-metre tanker was carrying about 2.3 million barrels of oil and was heading for Galveston, Texas. It is managed by HMM Ocean Service.

The FBI said there were no reports of problems with the vessel’s operations, instability, danger to the crew or environmental damage.

A joint team from the Coast Guard and FBI boarded the tanker on August 21. The team went aboard after the communications loss and signs that the network had been compromised.

Investigators checked the ship’s operational technology and information technology systems.

The agencies also boarded another vessel in the Gulf of Mexico on August 24. They were checking the systems of both vessels after receiving indications that their networks had been compromised.

The investigation is still looking at how much access the hackers had. It is not known how long they were inside the system or which parts of the vessel they could control.

The system was linked to the tanker’s propulsion. Ships now use connected computer systems for communications, navigation and other operations, making cybersecurity an important part of ship safety.

Alex Soukhanov, whose firm True North Group works on maritime cybersecurity, said confirmed hacks of ship systems are rare but can have a big impact.

US military and intelligence officials have been concerned about the possibility of hackers gaining access to operational systems on large commercial vessels.

US agencies were tracking cyber threats involving nearly 20 shipping vessels around the world by September, according to the source material.

The Coast Guard had also asked for advance notice if any of those vessels planned to enter a US port.

The VL Prosperity was still anchored offshore Galveston when Bloomberg reported the findings on October 2, according to shipping data cited by the news agency.

The tanker is longer than the Chrysler Building is tall and about as wide as an American football field.

Svante Einarsson, head of cybersecurity at ship technical advisory firm DNV, said losing some functions on a large vessel carrying hazardous material because of a cyberattack would be a “worst case scenario”.

He said most vessels, however, have other systems that allow crews to keep operating.

The attackers have not been identified. Investigators are still trying to determine how they entered the network and what they could control.

References: financialpost, bairdmaritime