Coast Guard and FBI Probe Possible Cyber Breach on Texas-Bound Tanker

The U.S. Coast Guard and FBI boarded a foreign-flagged oil tanker bound for Texas on Aug. 21 after determining that its network may have been compromised by an overseas cyber actor. The vessel appears to be the VL Prosperity, a large Liberian-flagged crude carrier that was headed toward Galveston, though authorities have not publicly identified it or attributed the breach to a specific country. Iranian reports said the tanker lost communications for about 30 hours while transiting the Strait of Gibraltar and alleged interference with engine cooling, speed, fuel and lubrication systems. U.S. officials said investigators examined the ship’s information-technology and operational systems and found no reported injuries, environmental damage, vessel instability or operational disruption. A Wall Street Journal report said at least two tankers bound for the United States may have been targeted, broadening concerns that Iran or other adversaries could be testing vulnerabilities in maritime energy infrastructure.