U.S. Probes Suspected Cyberattacks on Oil and LNG Tankers Hit Near Gibraltar
U.S. officials are investigating suspected cyberattacks on at least two foreign oil and LNG tankers that were targeted while passing the Strait of Gibraltar in August before sailing to the Gulf of Mexico. The incidents compromised both operational and IT systems on vessels supplying the U.S., prompting Coast Guard and FBI inspections on arrival.
Two foreign‑flagged tankers carrying oil and liquefied natural gas to the United States were reportedly hit by suspected cyberattacks near one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints before they ever reached U.S. waters.
U.S. authorities say they’re investigating incidents in August in which at least two tankers were targeted while transiting the Strait of Gibraltar on their way to the Gulf of Mexico. Officials say the attacks compromised both the ships’ operational technology, which governs functions like propulsion and cargo handling, and their more familiar IT networks.
The vessels continued their voyages but were met in the Gulf of Mexico by U.S. Coast Guard and FBI teams, which inspected them after arrival. There have been no reports of spills, collisions, or injuries linked to the compromises.
Even so, the fact that ships feeding U.S. energy demand were digitally tampered with at the narrow entrance to the Mediterranean raises obvious concerns. Operational systems on large tankers aren’t just business tools; they’re central to safely moving massive loads of oil and gas through crowded waterways.
The cases point to a shift in where cyber risk is felt. It’s not just pipeline operators and onshore terminals that have to worry. Tanker crews passing through tight straits like Gibraltar now have to consider the possibility that a sudden system glitch could be the start of a hostile intrusion, not just a technical fault.
How regulators and industry respond will show whether this becomes a recognized chokepoint risk. Any new Coast Guard advisories on shipboard vulnerabilities, changes to cyber‑inspection requirements at U.S. ports, or tougher demands from insurers and classification societies for ships transiting major straits will signal that these suspected attacks are being treated as more than isolated events.
Sources
- OSINT