Cyberattacks and e-warfare target Greek ships and offices

Greek shipping has faced a storm of hybrid threats over the past three years.

From the start of the war in Ukraine to the conflict involving Iran, Greek-owned vessels have been targeted by sabotage, terrorist attacks, drone strikes, and even ballistic missiles, resulting in the loss of crew and ships in some cases. More recently, however, shipping offices are increasingly confronting the threat posed by hackers through ongoing cyberattacks.

Αccording to “N”, since the outbreak of the conflict in Iran, cyberattacks on numerous shipping company offices in Athens have multiplied. To such an extent, the sources said, that the issue is already under review by the country’s competent authorities. Early findings indicate that the attacks are multi-layered, suggesting an organized effort to conceal the true origin of the activity and limit the ability to trace the individual malicious actions.

The same sources noted that some of the attacks appear to have traces pointing to countries such as Iran, though no one can confirm with certainty the country of origin of the cyberattacks. To respond effectively, shipping companies have been instructed to notify the authorities if they detect any cyberattack activity in their systems. Nonetheless, as industry officials told “N”, although attacks have increased significantly, they remain manageable so far.

Concerns also extend to electronic warfare targeting ships, particularly in the Persian Gulf.  There have been numerous cases in which shipping offices lose contact with vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf for hours due to attacks, including GNSS jamming and spoofing.

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Missiles and Drones

In the Persian Gulf, two Greek-owned vessels have already been hit. One belongs to Star Bulk, controlled by Petros Pappas. The vessel was struck in its cargo hold but was able to continue under its own power, with the crew reported to be in good health.

The Greek-owned tanker Zefyros, operated by Benetech Shipping SA, was also attacked when an unidentified projectile struck near the vessel while it was anchored at Umm Qasar, close to Iraq. The incident occurred during a ship-to-ship transfer operation with the tanker Safesea Vishnu.

According to the company, all 23 crew members are safe.

In the Black Sea

While attention has been focused on the Persian Gulf, a Greek tanker was hit in the Black Sea. The vessel is the Maran Homer, operated by Maran Tankers, controlled by Maria Angelicoussis.

In an official statement, the company reported that on March 14, around 04:35 local time (01:35 GMT), while the ship was sailing outside Russian territorial waters awaiting instructions to enter the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) Terminal in Novorossiysk, where it was to receive a cargo of Kazakh crude oil, was struck by an unknown object. There were no injuries and the crew is safe. Only minor material damage was recorded to the deck and deck equipment of the ship. The tanker was unloaded and there is no environmental pollution.

Greek Seafarers

According to an update provided by Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs, Stefanos Gkikas, to the Greek Parliament, a total of 34 Greek-flagged vessels are currently operating in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf.

“Within the Persian Gulf, 10 Greek-flagged ships remain, carrying 90 Greek seafarers, while an additional 70 Greek seafarers serve on two cruise ships in Doha and Dubai,” he reported.

Gkikas also stated that the total number of ships of all nationalities currently stranded in the Persian Gulf exceeds 1,000. There are 168 Greek-owned vessels in the broader region, including the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman.