US Coast Guard and FBI Conduct Cyberattack Probes on Tankers

By Ruth Liao, Charles Gorrivan and Weilun Soon

Sep 16, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The US is investigating potential cyberattacks on oil and gas tankers, as concerns grow around the threat to maritime safety posed by hackers interfering with vessels’ electronic systems.

Personnel from the US Coast Guard and the Federal Bureau of Investigation boarded an unnamed, foreign-flagged vessel on Aug. 21, following indications its network had been compromised by hackers, a Coast Guard spokesperson said in response to questions from Bloomberg News about the VL Prosperity supertanker. 

The VL Prosperity is currently idling off the Texas coast after arriving in the area in