Key facts
- US Coast Guard and FBI personnel boarded two commercial vessels in the Gulf of Mexico between August 21 and August 24.
- Indications suggested hackers compromised the networks of both vessels.
- One of the compromised vessels was identified as the Liberian-flagged oil tanker VL Prosperity.
- Iran's Mehr news agency reported VL Prosperity suffered a cyberattack on August 7, disabling communications for 30 hours.
- There were no reports of operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger to crews, or environmental impacts.
US Coast Guard and FBI personnel boarded two commercial vessels in the Gulf of Mexico between August 21 and August 24, following indications that hackers had compromised their computer networks. The joint operation aimed to ensure the integrity of the vessels' operational and information technology systems. One of the vessels involved was identified as the VL Prosperity, a 333-meter oil tanker capable of carrying over 2 million barrels of oil. According to Iran's Mehr news agency, VL Prosperity experienced a significant cyberattack on August 7 while en route to the United States from Egypt, which reportedly disabled its communications for 30 hours and interfered with its speed and fuel systems. The US is investigating whether Iran was behind the attacks, which have increased following the war between Israel and Iran. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) described such attacks as 'opportunistic.' Despite the cyber intrusions, authorities reported no operational disruptions, vessel instability, danger to crews, or environmental impacts.