Hackers accessed tanker’s propulsion system off Texas, investigators say

The FBI and U.S. Coast Guard investigated a cyber intrusion aboard the Liberian-flagged tanker VL Prosperity near Texas after hackers briefly accessed a digital system connected to its propulsion. A joint Coast Guard-FBI team boarded VL Prosperity on August 21 following communications problems and indications of network compromise; the agencies also boarded a second vessel in the Gulf of Mexico on August 24. The FBI reported no operational disruption, vessel instability, physical danger to crews or environmental impact, while the attackers' identity, entry method and extent of control remained uncertain. The 333-metre tanker, managed by HMM Ocean Service and capable of carrying about 2.3 million barrels, was bound for Galveston during the incident reported in early October.