Chinese computer hackers are reportedly targeting commercial shipping companies across Europe. Norwegian state broadcaster NRK has reported the discovery of USB sticks loaded with malware in computers on numerous ships over several months. The infected USBs were first found on Norwegian and Greek freighters in January, followed by incidents in the Netherlands in March, April, and May, and most recently on ships in Greece in May and June.
The Mustang Panda Connection
Cybersecurity firm Eset has managed to thwart the attacks against its own shipping customers in Europe. However, it warns that other companies may have been unknowingly exposed over the past few months. Eset believes these malware attacks, designed to extract sensitive information from the networks they infiltrate, are part of a coordinated effort by a hacker group with ties to China known as Mustang Panda.
The strategy relies on human curiosity, a trait hackers have exploited in the past to encourage staff at infrastructure-critical organizations to plug in thumb drives where they shouldn’t. This incident underscores the importance of cybersecurity vigilance in the shipping industry, particularly in the face of potential threats from sophisticated hacker groups.
