# Coast Guard and FBI board energy tankers after cyberattacks > Coast Guard and FBI board two tankers after cyberattacks on ships en route to US - Title: Coast Guard and FBI board energy tankers after cyberattacks - Summary: Coast Guard and FBI board two tankers after cyberattacks on ships en route to US Cyberattacks on ships could disrupt critical systems and cause safety risks - Keywords: coast guard, fbi, vl prosperity, iranian state media, cybersecurity, maritime security, supertanker, strait of gibraltar, cyberattack, maritime infrastructure, ai threat, cyber hygiene - Source: CBS News — https://cbsnews.com/news/coast-guard-fbi-boarded-energy-tankers-cyberattacks-amy-grable-iran - Author: Nicole Sganga - Published: 2026-09-17T00:03:00+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: coast guard, fbi, vl prosperity, iranian state media, cybersecurity, maritime security, supertanker, strait of gibraltar, cyberattack, maritime infrastructure, ai threat, cyber hygiene ## Coast Guard boards tankers U.S. Coast Guard and FBI boarded two Texas-bound energy tankers after cyberattacks struck the vessels while traveling toward the United States. > They started out by doing an assessment of the information technology and the other systems on board the vessel, and they did find malicious cyber activity ## Iranian claims Iranian state media identified the VL Prosperity as being attacked, claiming hackers gained access to propulsion, navigation and cargo systems. > Iranian state media reported hackers breached the engine room reducing engine cooling flow increasing engine speed and interfering with fuel systems ## Coast Guard investigation Coast Guard Cyber Command commander Amy Grable said investigators found evidence of malicious cyber activity on the vessels. > They started out by doing an assessment of the information technology and the other systems on board the vessel and they did find malicious cyber activity ## Investigation details Coast Guard teams boarded the ship for four days to hunt for malware and check critical systems. > We're concerned about those IT systems being connected to other systems on the ship that control propulsion navigation and other systems critical to the safety of that vessel ## Supertanker risks Modern ships with internet-connected systems face risks of cyberattacks that could disrupt navigation, propulsion, and safety. > When these vessels are highly connected they're susceptible to cyber threats ## Economic impact U.S. ports handle $5.4 trillion in annual commerce, making cyber disruptions potentially costly. > Any small delay because of a cyber breach like if a port shifts to manual operations causes big delays with tankers and cargo vessels ## Technical barriers Attackers may not need advanced skills to manipulate ship systems, as malicious code is available online. > Not necessarily that sophisticated there is malicious source code that people can get their hands on ## AI threat Artificial intelligence could speed up attacks by identifying weak systems and exploiting vulnerabilities. > The very thing that we think is our one protection is the very thing that AI is actually really good at ## Remote hijacking Experts debate whether hackers could fully take over a ship or disrupt critical systems to make it unsafe. > I'd be kind of cautious about saying that somebody can just take control of the ship ships are incredibly complicated systems ## Iranian narrative Iranian state media claims the attacks were Iranian, but U.S. officials have not confirmed the source. > No American vessel is safe anymore will cannons give way to codes ## Industry warning Coast Guard urges vessel operators to improve cyber hygiene and network segmentation to prevent attacks. > We need everybody to pay attention to this ## Key takeaway Cyberattacks on ships could disrupt critical systems and cause safety risks