On August 21 and 24, U.S. Coast Guard and FBI agents boarded two foreign-flagged commercial ships heading towards the United States. This action was taken after receiving indications of hackers infiltrating the computer networks of these ships, and it appears that this operation is related to one of the cyber attacks associated with tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Details of the Coast Guard Operation
The U.S. Coast Guard specifically referenced the August 21 operation and stated that "foreign cyber actors" were involved in this intrusion, but did not provide further details regarding the identity of these actors. The FBI and other related agencies have also not elaborated on these incidents. It seems that these incidents may be linked to a series of cyber attacks that media outlets attribute to Iran.
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Sources and Impacts of Cyber Attacks
The CEO of maritime security group Dryad Global, Cory Rensselaer, stated that one of the ships, the VL Prosperity flagged under Liberia, is currently anchored in the waters off Galveston, Texas. The Iranian news agency Mehr reported on August 20 that this ship was targeted by "a major cyber attack" while passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, causing its communications to be cut off for 30 hours. An unspecified crew member also mentioned that hackers infiltrated the ship's engine systems, reducing the engine's cooling flow and increasing its speed.
Although these types of cyber attacks may have dramatic consequences, Rensselaer noted that executing them is generally not difficult. He also predicted that such attacks will continue and expand in the near future.
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