Before the Mayday: Cyber ​​Attacks at Sea

Could Stuxnet happen again - this time at sea?

In this Threat Talks episode, host Lieuwe Jan Koning sits down with Professor Stephen McCombie, global expert in maritime cybersecurity, to unpack real-world cyber attacks on critical infrastructure and why the maritime sector is dangerously exposed.

From GPS spoofing and insider threats to aging ship systems and state-sponsored attacks, this conversation reveals how maritime cyber risk is no longer theoretical - it’s already disrupting global trade, safety, and geopolitics.

If your organization depends on shipping, ports, or industrial OT environments, this is an episode you really shouldn’t ignore.

• (00:00) - – 01:15 Why Cyber Attacks at Sea Matter
• (01:15) - – 04:01 What Makes the Maritime Industry Uniquely Vulnerable
• (04:01) - – 07:15 Legacy Ships vs. Modern Ships: Where the Real Risk Lies
• (07:15) - – 13:17 Stuxnet and the Blueprint for Physical Cyber Attacks
• (13:17) - – 14:17 Today’s Biggest Maritime Cyber Threats
• (14:17) - – 17:04 Learning from Real Incidents: The MCAT Database
• (17:04) - – 23:19 Real Attacks at Sea: Insider Threats & GPS Spoofing
• (24:34) - – 33:11 From Awareness to Action: Solutions That Actually Help
• (33:11) - – 37:25 The Ship Honeynet: Detecting Attacks Before the Mayday
• (37:25) - – 38:24 End Key Takeaways & What Comes Next

Key Topics Covered
• Why maritime cybersecurity failures can cripple global supply chains
• Real examples of cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, including GPS spoofing and insider threats
• How legacy OT, poor segmentation, and low awareness increase maritime cyber risk
• Practical lessons: intelligence-led defense, openness, exercises, and Zero Trust thinking

Related ON2IT Content & Referenced Resources
Threat Talk episode - Hack the Boat: https://youtu.be/Xa0TJ3eRTCw?si=oQPhu4iyfVJEh0CQ
Threat Talk episode - Maritime Cyber Attack Database: https://maritimecybersecurity.nl/
Threat Talk website: https://threat-talks.com/
ON2IT website: https://on2it.net/
AMS-IX website: https://www.ams-ix.net/ams
https://www.mcatdatabase.org/
https://www.nhlstenden.com/
https://www.marinetraffic.com/

Click here to view the episode transcript.

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