In September 2020, the United Nations International Maritime Organization (UN IMO), headquartered in London, fell victim to a cyberattack targeting its IT infrastructure. The incident resulted in a 48-hour outage of the organization’s website and intranet, severely disrupting internal communications and public-facing services. While the exact nature of the attack (e.g., malware, DDoS, or targeted intrusion) was not disclosed, the prolonged downtime suggests a significant operational disruption, potentially affecting maritime safety protocols, regulatory compliance, and global shipping coordination. As a specialized UN agency responsible for maritime security, environmental regulations, and shipping standards, the IMO’s systems are critical to international trade and safety. The attack did not publicly confirm data breaches or ransomware demands, but the service interruption alone impacting a high-profile intergovernmental body raises concerns about cyber resilience in global governance. The lack of transparency regarding the attack vector or compromised data leaves uncertainties about broader implications, though the operational halt underscores vulnerabilities in sectors reliant on digital infrastructure.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/international-maritime-organization
"id": "int650092025",
"linkid": "international-maritime-organization",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "9/2020",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Maritime Regulation',
'location': 'London, England',
'name': 'United Nations International Maritime '
'Organization (UN IMO)',
'type': 'Intergovernmental Organization'}],
'date_detected': '2020-09',
'description': 'In September 2020, the London (England) based United Nations '
'International Maritime Organization (UN IMO) experienced a '
'cyberattack on their IT systems. Very little information is '
'known about the incident, only that the website and the '
'intranet of UN IMO were down for a 48-hour period.',
'impact': {'downtime': '48 hours',
'systems_affected': ['website', 'intranet']},
'title': 'Cyberattack on United Nations International Maritime Organization '
'(UN IMO)'}