U.S. probes cyberattacks on energy tankers bound for American coast
The vessels that were attacked near Europe carried oil and liquefied natural gas, introducing the risk of a catastrophic explosion or oil spill.
U.S. officials are probing cyberattacks on two foreign tankers en route to American ports, raising fears of Iranian involvement in escalating Middle Eastern tensions, according to sources familiar with the incidents. A specialized Coast Guard-FBI team boarded the vessels in the Gulf of Mexico in August after detecting signs of compromised networks.
The inspections aimed to verify the integrity of the ships' operational and IT systems following the suspected breaches. The tankers were traversing the Strait of Gibraltar when the attacks occurred, a strategic waterway that connects the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans and sees daily traffic from around 300 vessels carrying oil and liquefied natural gas.
While U.S. authorities have not yet attributed the cyberattacks to a specific adversary, concerns persist that Iran, Russia, or China could be behind the incidents, as they vie for control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. The Coast Guard and FBI declined to disclose the number of cyberattack investigations since the Iran conflict began, but emphasized the potential dangers of such attacks, particularly on vessels transporting volatile crude oil and LNG.
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