US officials have announced that they are investigating cyberattacks on at least two foreign oil tankers that were heading toward the US coast --an incident that, according to them, has increased concerns about the expansion of the Middle East conflict into the maritime and cyber domains.
According to the report, the vessels were carrying oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and were targeted in a cyberattack in early August while passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. According to US officials, after the two oil tankers reached the Gulf of Mexico, a specialized team led by the US Coast Guard, which also included FBI agents, boarded the vessels on August 21 and 24.
The geographical location of the incident, along with the ships’ destination, raises concerns that the attackers may have sought to disrupt a key maritime chokepoint or attack an American port. US officials have also not confirmed that Iran or another country, such as Russia or China, was behind the attacks; however, they say they are concerned that recent events could open a new front in the seven-month war.
The Strait of Gibraltar is vital to global energy markets. Every day, approximately 300 ships pass through this waterway, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. Experts have warned that cyberattacks on ships, depending on the level of sophistication and the type of vessel involved, could be extremely dangerous.
Rear Admiral Jason Tama, Commander of the US Coast Guard Cyber Command, told The Wall Street Journal in June: “For a vessel carrying tens of millions of gallons of highly volatile crude oil, there is always the risk of fire and explosion. The atmosphere inside the tanks must be managed very carefully to ensure that a situation conducive to fire and explosion does not arise. And there is always the risk of an oil spill”.