US Agencies Board Foreign Tankers to Investigate Suspected Cyberattacks

The US Coast Guard and FBI conducted joint cybersecurity boardings of two commercial vessels in the Gulf of Mexico on August 21 and 24, following signs that both ships' networks had been compromised. According to a joint statement, the boardings were intended to check the integrity of the vessels' operational and IT systems. Authorities said there were no reports of operational disruption, vessel instability, danger to crews, or environmental harm.

The vessels were reportedly oil and gas tankers, and one is said to have lost communications for more than 30 hours after being hacked in the Strait of Gibraltar. Investigators are reportedly examining whether Iran or another group exploiting Iran-US tensions was responsible. The Coast Guard has also been tracking so-called "dark fleets" that carry sanctioned oil from Iran and Russia while using digital masking to hide their operations, a practice that carries heightened cyber risk.

The boarding teams included Coast Guard law enforcement and cyber protection personnel, a vessel inspector, and FBI Cyber Action Team operators. Authorities credited the ships' captains, crews and shore-based corporate staff with helping mitigate the threats, a reminder that human cooperation remains vital during a cyber incident response, even in complex maritime environments.