LNG Tanker Aborts Journey After Suspected Cyber Attack

The Vivit Africa LNG, a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas from the US to Italy, stopped short of its destination after a suspected cyber incident. The crew reported that they could no longer access some of the ship's internal control systems in early September.

The tanker was sailing east through the Mediterranean and Adriatic when the failure occurred, according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. The ship remained off the Italian coast without dumping any cargo before abandoning its intended destination and heading westward towards Algeciras at the mouth of the Mediterranean.

The Cameron LNG terminal in Louisiana loaded the cargo, and the ship is on a long-term time charter with Vitol. H-Line Shipping, the owner, has not commented on the incident, nor has Korean Register, which advises the vessel on technical and safety issues.

This is the third tanker to be hit by a suspected cyber attack in a month's time, following two incidents involving US tankers off the American coast in late August. The US Coast Guard and FBI boarded those ships due to possible cyber attacks, and nearly 20 ships around the world are currently being monitored for similar threats.