Pirates can also hack container ships and cause Suez Canal stranded accident class damage in the cyber era

When you hear the word pirate, you think of a pirate ship approaching an attack target and robbing money, but in recent years there have been reports of cyber pirates conducting cyber attacks on ships that are becoming more electronic. If cyber pirates take control of a vessel, there are concerns that it could artificially cause a major accident, such as the 2021stranded accident on the Suez Canal .

Cyber Pirates Prowling Ship Controls Threaten Another Big Shock --Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-28/cyber-pirates-prowling-ship-controls-threaten-another-big-shock

In February 2019, evidence of someone invading the system of a large container ship sailing for New York was discovered. Analysis by the Coast Guard revealed that the container ship was not out of control, but that important functions were at serious risk. According to the Coast Guard, in recent years many ships are equipped with computer-based engine control systems, nautical charting systems, and navigation systems. For this reason, the Coast Guard has warned (PDF file) that cyber pirate attacks could take control of the vessel and is calling on vessel managers to strengthen their security measures.

Attacks by cyber pirates extend not only to ships, but also to port systems. India's major container port, Javaharlar Nehru, was attacked by ransomware in February 2022, and in May 2022, a major freight forwarding company, Expeditors International of Washington, was damaged by a cyber attack3. I have been forced to down the system for a week.

'Every day, attempts are being made to break into the network,' said Maj. Gen. Wayne Argin of the Coast Guard, emphasizing that the shipping industry is at the same risk of cyberattacks as any other industry. Jennifer Bisceglie, CEO of Interos, a company that manages risk in the supply chain, said that despite the fact that the shipping industry occupies an important position in the supply chain, countermeasures against cyber attacks are not progressing. In addition, security expert Ken Munro, who belongs to cyber security company 'Pen Test Partners', said, 'Transporters are desperately trying to ensure security, but due to the age of the equipment mounted on the ship, security It can be difficult to secure, 'he said, pointing out that security measures for vessels are not easy.

In March 2021, a huge container ship 'Ever Given' ran aground on the Suez Canal, causing damage of 600 million dollars (about 82 billion yen). 'The Suez Canal grounding incident has made it widely known that the global supply chain is actually very fragile. The Suez Canal grounding incident was not due to hacking, but a similar incident was caused by a system hack. It's easy to do, 'he said, pointing out that attacks on ships by cyber pirates can cause significant disruption to the supply chain.