by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

Cybersecurity incidents recorded in 2024 revealed that the maritime industry faces increasingly complex cyber threats. This was recently highlighted in a report by Marlink, a connectivity and IT solutions provider.

The report, which covered incidents recorded during the second half of 2024, found that attackers are adopting more structured and business-like approaches to cybercrime.

Between July and December 2024, Marlink monitored 1,998 vessels and reported 9 billion security events and 39 billion firewall events.

These events generated over 700,000 alerts, 50 considered major security breaches that were actively managed.

While the number of attacks did not significantly increase, the sophistication and methodology of these incidents have advanced notably.

One of the most striking changes observed in the report is a rise in cybercriminals leveraging generative artificial intelligence (genAI).

The reports mentioned that tools like large language models (LLMs) are now being used to speed up malware creation, automate phishing schemes, and refine social engineering tactics.

These AI-assisted attacks have enabled attackers to exploit known cybersecurity vulnerabilities easily.

Marlink's President of Cybersecurity, Nicolas Furge, remarked that the sophistication of these threats is expected to escalate further, amplifying the pressure on the shipping sector to enhance its cybersecurity measures.

One recent incident drawing attention to the severity of such cyber risks occurred when the container ship MSC Antonia ran aground off Saudi Arabia’s coast.

The event was reportedly linked to a cyber spoofing phenomenon, where attackers manipulated the ship's location data.

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