Thursday’s report of a compromise of the computer systems aboard a large Italian passenger ferry docked in France has raised alarms about the targeting of transportation and logistics companies as tools of geopolitical conflicts.
A remote access Trojan, essentially a backdoor that affords a threat actor remote control over a compromised operating system, was discovered by officials of Italian shipping company GNV. The RAT was found on the RoPax ferry Fantastic, which carries more than 2,100 passengers.
RATs are malware that enable an attacker to gain admin-level access to compromised systems and also include a communication channel where siphoned data can be shared back to the attackers, or commands sent to the targeted systems.
Details of the Passenger Ferry Malware Attack
A Latvian crew member was arrested and charged with hacking-related offenses in connection with the incident, according to a prosecutor in Paris. He is also alleged to be part of a conspiracy on behalf of an unidentified foreign power. France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez hints in an Associated Press report that the attacks may be on behalf of Russia, and targeted the ship’s data-processing systems. European governments have warned that Russia is amping up cyberattacks and other forms of sabotage against allies of Ukraine as its war with that country rages on into its fourth year.
The Fantastic is owned and operated by the Italian shipping company GNV. When the malware was discovered on the docked vessel, French authorities conducted an emergency investigation. The vessel was cleared to return to operations when no threat to the crew or the passengers was identified. GNV said in a statement that the breach had been contained, neutralized, and that no damage had been done to its operational systems.
France and other EU countries have repeatedly sounded alarms that Russia is intensifying its campaign of “hybrid warfare” against Ukraine and its allies, citing tactics such as cyberattacks, sabotage, and other disruptions. Russia has frequently targeted critical infrastructure inside Ukraine with relentless cyberattacks aimed at their electric grid and other services.
While the reported impact appears minimal at this stage, the incident underscores the need for tighter controls to prevent malicious access, while also highlighting a broader duality: employees increasingly seek remote access—or excessive local access—to critical systems. Incidents such as this one also reinforce the strategic need to develop and implement resilient systems that can sustain attacks and maintain availability of key services.
Future-Proofing Shipbuilding for a More Resilient Future
In 2024, the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) introduced a pair of requirements that helped to standardize maritime cybersecurity. The requirements, known as UR E26 and E27, mandate that cybersecurity is embedded into ship design and ensures a more holistic approach to shipbuilding. These requirements also align with existing frameworks such as IEC 62443 and NIST.
UR E26 focuses on the cyber resilience of ships themselves, while E27 is aimed at the resilience of on-board systems and equipment. Both requirements aim to increase cyber resilience and mitigate the effects of cyber incidents arising from disruptions to operational technology (OT) in ship operations.
These requirements play a key role in vessels’ resilience to withstand disruption. Moreover, they help mitigate the impact of cyberattacks on public safety. To minimize threats to both areas, it’s critical for shipyards to produce vessels that align to these standards, and future-proof fleets to be ready for a digital future that’s rife with new threats, including managed provisioning of privileged access to key systems.
Historically, operating a vessel required physical presence in the captain’s chair. Today, the proliferation of new technologies allows individuals from virtually any workstation to access and control much of the world’s critical infrastructure.
Ferries, cruise ships, offshore vessels, and other transportation operators increasingly rely on this capability. While this represents meaningful progress, it comes with new risks. Too often, the corresponding digital authentication and access controls common in enterprise IT have not kept pace.
CISOs must be able to precisely control and monitor access, track system changes and file transfers, and, most critically, immediately revoke access for any employee, contractor, or vendor with privileges to critical systems if the need should suddenly arise.
