The United States Coast Guard Cyber Command’s (CGCYBER) latest maritime cyber bulletin has revealed that there was an attempted cyber-attack against an unknown port facility.
In December 2015, the US Coast Guard was alerted to a BEC attempt against a port facility in the US.
A member of the company received an email from an unknown individual posing as the company’s CEO, who claimed the company had an invoice due for payment.
The email instructed the recipient to transfer US$15,000 and provided specific payment details, such as an account number and routing information for the transfer of funds.
It rose questions as to whether the email was legitimate and the company CEO was contacted to verify the request. The CEO instructed that they had not sent the email or authorised any transfer of funds.
Upon further investigation it was revealed that the CEO's email had been spoofed.
An investigation has been launched and is under control by Law Enforcement who are looking into the issue and wider consequences.
The bulletin was prepared CGCYBER to facilitate a greater understanding of the nature and scope of threats and hazards impacting the Marine Transportation System (MTS).
