Coast Guard, FBI boarded Texas-bound oil tanker to investigate cyberattack
The U.S. has so far not attributed the potential breach to a specific actor, but Iranian state media amplified the story in the weeks following the attack.
Coast Guard and FBI agents boarded a Texas-bound commercial oil tanker on August 21 to investigate a potential cyberattack before the vessel arrived at a port. The Coast Guard stated that the team examined both operational technology and information-technology systems on board the ship, working with the crew and corporate operators to remove the threat.
As of the report, there were no signs of operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger to crew members, or environmental impacts. The U.S. has not attributed the breach to a specific actor, but Iranian state media reported the incident in the following weeks. Iranian reports suggested the ship, named VL Prosperity, was targeted on August 7 while sailing from Egypt's Sidi Kerir terminal to the United States, losing communications for 30 hours.
Iranian media alleged that hackers penetrated engine-room systems, reduced engine cooling flow, increased engine speed, and interfered with fuel and lubricating-oil systems.
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