In February 2017, a container vessel operated by a leading global shipping company fell victim to a sophisticated cyber attack orchestrated by African pirates. The hackers targeted the ship’s **Navigation Systems** while it was en route from **Cyprus to Djibouti**, aiming to seize full control and redirect it to a location where they could physically hijack the vessel. The attack rendered the ship **unmaneuverable for 10 hours**, forcing the crew to bring in **IT experts** to restore system functionality after repeated failed attempts. The incident compromised the **availability and integrity** of the ship’s critical systems, posing severe risks to **crew safety, cargo security, and operational continuity**. Had the pirates succeeded in fully controlling the vessel, the consequences could have included **financial losses from ransom demands, cargo theft, reputational damage, and potential environmental hazards** if the ship had been diverted to unsafe waters. The attack highlighted vulnerabilities in **maritime cybersecurity**, particularly in legacy navigation and communication systems, which remain prime targets for cyber-criminals exploiting gaps in industrial control systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT).
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/cma-cgm
"id": "cma840092125",
"linkid": "cma-cgm",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "2/2017",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'maritime/logistics',
'location': ['Cyprus (departure)',
'Djibouti (destination)',
'unknown (attack location)'],
'type': 'container vessel (maritime shipping)'}],
'attack_vector': ['remote hacking', 'navigation system compromise'],
'date_detected': 'February 2017',
'date_resolved': 'February 2017 (within 10 hours of detection)',
'description': 'In February 2017, a container vessel en route from Cyprus to '
'Djibouti was targeted by a hacking attack carried out by '
'African pirates. The attackers aimed to gain full control of '
"the vessel's Navigation Systems to redirect the ship to an "
'area where they could physically seize it. The hack rendered '
'the ship unable to maneuver, and the attackers maintained '
'control for 10 hours. The crew attempted to regain control '
'but required onboard IT experts to restore the Navigation '
'Systems after hours of intervention. The incident compromised '
"the availability and integrity of the vessel's systems under "
'the CIA triad.',
'impact': {'downtime': '10 hours',
'operational_impact': ['loss of vessel maneuverability',
'temporary loss of control to attackers',
'requirement for emergency IT intervention'],
'systems_affected': ['Navigation Systems']},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ['Navigation Systems']},
'investigation_status': 'Resolved (systems restored; no further public '
'details)',
'motivation': ['financial gain (piracy)',
'physical seizure of vessel',
'ransom'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': ['vulnerabilities in Navigation '
'Systems',
'lack of cyber-physical security '
'measures']},
'response': {'containment_measures': ['manual override attempts',
'IT expert intervention'],
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes (crew attempted '
'recovery; IT experts '
'boarded)',
'remediation_measures': ['restoration of Navigation Systems'],
'third_party_assistance': ['IT experts (onsite)']},
'threat_actor': 'African pirates (cyber-enabled)',
'title': 'Cyber Attack on Container Vessel by African Pirates (2017)',
'type': ['cyber-physical attack', 'hacking', 'maritime cyber incident']}