From ABC News · ABC News · · 1m 20s
Two oil tankers hit by cyberattacks heading to US
Coast Guard and FBI probe suspected foreign hacks on vessels bound for America, with Iran a possible culprit.
In brief
Coast Guard and FBI probe suspected foreign hacks on vessels bound for America, with Iran a possible culprit. Two oil tankers heading to the US were hit by cyberattacks in August, prompting Coast Guard and FBI investigations into possible foreign involvement. Originally reported by ABC News.
Two tankers hit by cyberattacks
Coast Guard and FBI are investigating after two oil tankers bound for the US were hit with suspected cyberattacks last month.
Specialized teams boarded first vessel
On Aug. 21, Coast Guard cyber protection members and an FBI cyber team boarded a foreign-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Mexico to check its systems.
Ship lost contact for 30 hours
The vessel was hacked in the Strait of Gibraltar and lost communication for over 30 hours before being boarded by US authorities.
Second tanker boarded days later
US officials boarded another cyberattacked tanker on Aug. 24 to conduct a similar assessment of its compromised systems.
Iran suspected in the attacks
Authorities are investigating whether Iran or another actor seeking to exploit US-Iran conflict was behind the cyberattacks on both vessels.
No operational damage reported
Officials say there were no reports of operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger to crews, or environmental impacts from either attack.
“Currently, there are no reports of operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger to crews, or environmental impacts.”
The short version
Two oil tankers heading to the US were hit by cyberattacks in August, prompting Coast Guard and FBI investigations into possible foreign involvement.
