Ports are facing a flood of cyber attacks from state-backed hackers, according to a new policy report from NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). Handling 80% of world trade and underpinning NATO’s logistics chain, ports are now “magnets” for cyber aggression from Russia, Iran, and China, as well as ransomware gangs and politically motivated hacktivists, the report warns.
The brief describes an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Russian APT28 linked to GRU, Iranian groups like APT35 and MuddyWater, and Chinese operations like Mustang Panda are actively targeting port systems, including access control, vessel traffic services, and fuel terminals.
Meanwhile, ransomware attacks and DDoS campaigns continue to hit major European terminals, with groups like BlackCat and Noname057 causing problems in Hamburg, Antwerp, and Felixstowe. The civil-military divide is exacerbating the crisis: most ports are under private ownership, but serve dual military functions with little integration into NATO’s cyber defenses.
The CCDCOE is calling for urgent reforms, updating NATO’s maritime strategy, increasing intelligence sharing, and integrating cyber training into NATO exercises, to prevent future digital blockades on the world’s docks.
Singapore faced a major cyber threat over the weekend, with Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, K. Shanmugam, confirming a serious attack targeting the city-state’s critical infrastructure. Authorities attribute the assault to UNC3886, a sophisticated state-linked espionage group with possible ties to China. The breach, classified as an Advanced Persistent Threat, targeted high-value systems including power grids, transport networks, and financial institutions, risking disruptions to essential services like power, ports, and airports.
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 an independent 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.
July 23, 2025
July 23, 2025
July 23, 2025
July 23, 2025
July 23, 2025
