Worried about cyber pirates hijacking autonomous ships? Focus on port cybersecurity first

On average, the U.S. Coast Guard issues between ten and twenty safety alerts annually. Alerts tend to function more as a public service announcement designed to raise awareness of common hazards and risks and serve to remind Coasties of best practices…. Continue reading Worried about cyber pirates hijacking autonomous ships? Focus on port cybersecurity first

After ‘significant’ malware attack, U.S. Coast Guard issues maritime security advisory

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a safety alert encouraging mariners to follow basic cybersecurity protocols after a ship bound for the East Coast experienced a “significant cyber incident” in February. The Coast Guard said the deep draft ship was traveling to the Port of New York and New Jersey from international waters earlier this year when it experienced an incident affecting its shipboard network. An interagency team of specialists responded, finding that “malware significantly degraded the functionality of the onboard computer system,” though the boat’s essential controls were not affected, the Coast Guard said Monday. The shipboard network had been used to conduct official business, like updating electronic charts, managing cargo information and communicating with onshore resources. The warning comes as maritime traffic has become a prominent venue for ongoing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia and its allies, including the United States. In March, the FBI privately notified industry of cyberthreats to U.S. […]

The post After ‘significant’ malware attack, U.S. Coast Guard issues maritime security advisory appeared first on CyberScoop.

Continue reading After ‘significant’ malware attack, U.S. Coast Guard issues maritime security advisory

U.S. Coast Guard shares cybersecurity best practices for commercial vessels

Spurred by a recent cyber incident they were called in to help resolve, the U.S. Coast Guard has detailed basic measures to improve vessels ‘cybersecurity. Basic cyber hygiene measures “In February 2019, a deep draft vessel on an internatio… Continue reading U.S. Coast Guard shares cybersecurity best practices for commercial vessels

Hack The Sea: Bridging the gap between hackers and the maritime sector

There’s a not a lot of researchers probing the security of computer systems underpinning the maritime industry. The limitations that keep that number low are obvious: both the specialized knowledge and equipment is difficult to come by. And, as K… Continue reading Hack The Sea: Bridging the gap between hackers and the maritime sector

Vulnerable controllers could allow attackers to manipulate marine diesel engines

Researchers have found several authentication and encryption vulnerabilities in the firmware of marine diesel engine controllers by Norwegian company Auto-Maskin, as well as the accompanying Android app. These security flaws could be exploited by attac… Continue reading Vulnerable controllers could allow attackers to manipulate marine diesel engines

IoT malware found hitting airplanes’ SATCOM systems

In 2014, IOActive researchers revealed security vulnerabilities they found in the most widely deployed satellite communications terminals and presented potential scenarios attackers could exploit once SATCOM systems have been compromised in the aviatio… Continue reading IoT malware found hitting airplanes’ SATCOM systems

Vulnerable ship systems: Many left exposed to hacking

Pen Test Partners’ Ken Munro and his colleagues – some of which are former ship crew members who really understand bridge and propulsion systems – have been probing the security of ships’ IT systems for a while now and the resul… Continue reading Vulnerable ship systems: Many left exposed to hacking