LAB DOOKHTEGAN, a hacker group, claimed this week that it disrupted the communication networks of 116 ships belonging to Iran’s two major shipping companies.
“In an unprecedented move, we successfully disrupted the communication network of two Iranian companies which, among various terrorist activities, are responsible for supplying ammunition to the Houthis,” the group wrote on Telegram.
The attack, which the group said was timed to coincide with US military operations against the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis, cut the ships’ connections with each other, their ports, and external communication channels.
Fifty ships belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) and 66 ships belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) were attacked.
Lab Dookhtegan said a full restoration of the affected systems could take weeks.
The hackers said the attack was the “tip of the iceberg,” with more operations planned.
“Communication devices are the bottleneck of maritime vessels,” commented Cydome, a maritime security specialist analyzing this week’s attacks on the Iranian ships. “This makes the ship’s communication device a single point of failure, and if a malicious actor hacks the communication device (VSAT or other), they can take complete control over all of the vessel’s communications and even spread to the IT and OT systems.”
Cydome said the fact that malware or malicious commands were delivered to 116 vessels simultaneously indicates a high degree of automation and coordination in the attack.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported that many vessels experienced GPS interference in the Strait of Hormuz last week, with disruptions lasting several hours, affecting navigation systems and requiring vessels to rely on backup methods.
Yesterday saw a fourth round of sanctions announced in Washington DC targeting Iranian oil sales since Donald Trump returned to power, ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.
Iran’s exports are estimated to have decreased to 1.35 million barrels per day on average during January and February, compared to its 2024 average of 1.70 m barrels per day. There are increasing reports of volumes lifting from Iran, but facing prolonged storage time in Southeast Asia, as the pool of available buyers and ships has tightened.
Starting with the Informa group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine, as well as East Asia editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia editor for Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times, and the International Herald Tribune.
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