HACKERS are finding a new incentive to target shipping as tech developments are causing more cyber challenges, reports Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.
Examples include outdated and unsupported software, intrusion into vessel systems, and crew-related factors.
Many onboard systems were installed during vessels' original construction, as long as 25-30 years ago.
With such long lifespans, many commercial vessels are running outdated and unsupported software, including within operating systems. It makes it easy for attackers to identify ways to target them.
One scenario is that attackers could cause a loss of navigational control.
A recent example of severe disruption to the maritime transportation system was the Suez Canal incident in March 2021.
At the center was the 220,000-tonne, quarter-mile-long Ever Given.
Strong winds blew it off track while entering Egypt's Suez Canal, where 12 per cent of the world's seaborne trade passes each year. The ship completely blocked the waterway, causing disruptions and delays.
The incident was not a cyberattack, but it demonstrated to potential attackers how one grounding on a globally significant shipping route could have broader implications for global trade and stock markets.
An opportunity arose for attackers, evidenced by a discussion on the dark web.
Delays resulting in losses and supply chain disruptions can cause major price dislocations, impacting prices on financial markets.
The blockage held up US$400 million an hour in trade, based on shipments that were on the affected vessels in and around the Suez Canal.
Having seen the impact on the stock market, attackers realized they could purchase certain stocks before committing an attack and profit from it.
SeaNews Turkey
Examples include outdated and unsupported software, intrusion into vessel systems, and crew-related factors.
Many onboard systems were installed during vessels' original construction, as long as 25-30 years ago.
With such long lifespans, many commercial vessels are running outdated and unsupported software, including within operating systems. It makes it easy for attackers to identify ways to target them.
One scenario is that attackers could cause a loss of navigational control.
A recent example of severe disruption to the maritime transportation system was the Suez Canal incident in March 2021.
At the center was the 220,000-tonne, quarter-mile-long Ever Given.
Strong winds blew it off track while entering Egypt's Suez Canal, where 12 per cent of the world's seaborne trade passes each year. The ship completely blocked the waterway, causing disruptions and delays.
The incident was not a cyberattack, but it demonstrated to potential attackers how one grounding on a globally significant shipping route could have broader implications for global trade and stock markets.
An opportunity arose for attackers, evidenced by a discussion on the dark web.
Delays resulting in losses and supply chain disruptions can cause major price dislocations, impacting prices on financial markets.
The blockage held up US$400 million an hour in trade, based on shipments that were on the affected vessels in and around the Suez Canal.
Having seen the impact on the stock market, attackers realized they could purchase certain stocks before committing an attack and profit from it.
SeaNews Turkey
