MCAD Maritime Cyber Attack Database
Year2014 |
MonthDecember |
Reference number20141201 |
Impact areaShore |
Incident locationDubai |
Incident countryUAE |
Victim countryUAE |
Victim identityNautilus Minerals (Canada), Marine Assets Corp. |
Victim TypeMineral Exploration Company |
MethodHacking |
In December 2014, Nautilus Minerals, an underwater mineral exploration company, was hit by a Business Email Comromise attack in Dubai. An third party had launched a cyber attack, resulting in Nautilus paying the deposit into a bank account it believed to be MAC’s, but which MAC had subsequently advised was not its account. The campaign of the attacker(s) was financial gain. The consequence of this attack was a $10 million wire transfer between two companies that got intercepted by hackers. After the attack the company engaged a cyber-security firm to ensure the ongoing security of its and MAC’s networks, and to investigate the source of the cyber attack.