The Impact of Cybersecurity on the Shipping Market

Real-World Examples of Cyberattacks in Shipping

2017 – Maersk: The NotPetya Cyberattack

One of the most significant cyber incidents in shipping occurred in June 2017, when A.P. Moller–Maersk was hit by the NotPetya malware attack. The attack disabled IT systems across Maersk’s global operations and affected APM Terminals at multiple locations.

Although Maersk’s vessels remained operational, shore-based systems supporting bookings, cargo documentation, communications and terminal activities were severely disrupted. Maersk subsequently estimated that the incident caused losses of approximately US$250–300 million.

The incident became a landmark case for the maritime industry because it demonstrated that ships themselves do not necessarily have to be hacked for global shipping operations to be disrupted. An attack on the digital infrastructure surrounding the vessel can be enough to interrupt cargo flows and terminal operations.

2018 – COSCO Shipping: Communications Disrupted

In July 2018, COSCO Shipping Lines experienced a cyberattack affecting its network in the Americas. Local email and network telephone services were disrupted, forcing the company to implement contingency measures while isolating affected networks to prevent the problem from spreading.

COSCO reported that its vessels continued operating normally and its principal business systems remained stable. Nevertheless, the incident demonstrated the importance of communications infrastructure to modern shipping operations.

2023 – DNV ShipManager: Around 1,000 Vessels Affected

In January 2023, DNV suffered a ransomware attack against its ShipManager fleet-management environment. Approximately 70 customers operating around 1,000 vessels were affected by the disruption.

DNV shut down the affected servers in response to the attack. Importantly, vessels were able to continue operating using the onboard offline functionality of ShipManager, while other onboard systems were unaffected.

The incident illustrates the value of redundancy and business-continuity planning. Cyberattacks may be impossible to eliminate completely, but having independent or offline systems can prevent a digital disruption from escalating into a physical vessel-operational crisis.

2023 – Port of Nagoya: Cyberattack Stops Cargo Movements

In July 2023, Japan’s Port of Nagoya suffered a ransomware attack affecting the Nagoya United Terminal System (NUTS), which supports container operations across the port.

The disruption prevented containers from being moved into and out of affected terminals for approximately 2½ days, interfering with logistics operations at one of Japan’s most important ports.

The Nagoya incident demonstrates perhaps the clearest connection between cybersecurity and shipping-market fundamentals:

If a similar incident were to affect a major oil terminal, refinery or storage hub during an already tight tanker market, prolonged vessel waiting could reduce effective tonnage availability and potentially contribute to upward freight pressure.

2026 – Strait of Hormuz: When Cyber Fraud Becomes a Physical Threat

A more recent and unusual example emerged during disruptions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz in 2026.

Maritime security organisations reported fraudulent communications in which scammers impersonated Iranian authorities and offered vessels supposed clearance or “safe passage” through the Strait in exchange for cryptocurrency payments, including Bitcoin and USDT.

The fraudsters reportedly demanded substantial payments and, in some cases, sought sensitive information concerning vessels and senior crew members.