The $40 million superyacht owned by British tech billionaire Mike Lynch raised serious security concerns after sinking off the coast of Sicily in August and killing seven passengers.
The yacht, Bayesian, is now the focus of an investigation. Experts are concerned that highly sensitive data kept onboard may attract the attention of foreign countries.
According to CNN, specialized divers examining the wreck asked for enhanced protection. They said that the encrypted data stored in two watertight safes on the yacht could be of particular interest to countries like China and Russia. The wreck is at a depth of 50 meters (164 feet), and the data contains secure passcodes and other sensitive information.
Authorities have confirmed that Lynch’s yacht, which has close ties to American,British, and other Western intelligence agencies, may contain material that could pose a serious risk to globalsecurity.
Lynch’s involvement with firms like cybersecurity firm Darktrace, which was acquired by private equity firm Thoma Bravo earlier this year, established him as an important figure in the technology and security sectors.
The sinking of Bayesian occurred during a strong storm. Italian prosecutors have since initiated a criminal inquiry, charging many individuals with manslaughter and negligent shipwreck. Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, and five others died in the tragedy.
American lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, British banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef, were among the other dead victims.
According to preliminary autopsy reports, the Bloomer and Morvillo couples most likely died from “dry drowning,”caused by a lack of oxygen in an air pocket in their sleeping cabin. Lynch and his daughter’s autopsyreports remain unclear, while the chef’s death was caused by drowning.
Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, and 14 others, including the yacht’s captain, James Cutfield, survived the accident. Survivors revealed that Lynch did not trust cloud storage systems and instead kept sensitive data secured in safe compartments onboard.
The encrypted drives on the yacht could include data related to Western intelligence operations.
Italian authorities are investigating Captain Cutfield, a deckhand, and the yacht’s engine room manager for causing a negligent shipwreck and many manslaughter charges.
The increased security measures around the wreckage have been formally implemented, with officials ensuring that the safes are kept secure until the vessel can be retrieved from the seabed.
Reference: MoneyControl, News18
