LNG tanker hit by suspected cyberattack in Mediterranean Sea
A liquefied natural gas tanker transporting fuel from the United States to Europe experienced a systems failure early this month that the crew reported as a suspected cyber attack, according to a Bloomberg report Friday. The Vivit Africa LNG was sailing east in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas toward Italy when the crew suddenly lost ...
An LNG tanker, the Vivit Africa, reportedly suffered a suspected cyberattack while en route from the United States to Europe, according to a recent Bloomberg report. The vessel was sailing east in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas when the crew lost access to some internal control systems. Vitol Group, the trading company that leases the ship, confirmed ownership but declined to offer further details.
After stopping off the Italian coast without unloading its cargo, the tanker headed back toward Spain, returning to its intended destination of Rovigo. The crew alerted Korean Register, the organization that advises South Korea on the vessel's safety and technical matters.
Investigations are currently underway, but no perpetrators have been identified. This marks the most recent incident of its kind, following two similar cases last month where Coast Guard and FBI officials boarded oil and gas tankers off the US coast due to potential cyberattacks. American officials are currently monitoring nearly 20 ships globally for such threats.
The Vivit Africa was carrying a cargo transported from Louisiana’s Cameron LNG terminal. It had sailed across the Atlantic and was nearing its destination when the technical issues arose in early September. The Italian Coast Guard provided assistance, intervening solely for navigation safety, issuing an urgent notice to mariners to maintain distance. The cause of the problem remains undetermined.
Written by urgent.news from Hellenic Shipping News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
