MCAD Maritime Cyber Attack Database
Year2011 |
MonthJune |
Reference number20110601 |
Impact areaShore |
Incident locationAntwerp, Rotterdam |
Incident countryBelgium, The Netherlands |
Victim countryBelgium, The Netherlands |
Victim identityPort of Antwerp and Port of Rotterdam |
Victim TypePort |
MethodMalware |
Attacker countryBelgium |
In the year 2011-2013, the port of Antwerp and port of Rotterdam got hacked by Belgian hackers working for a drug cartel. In this incident the hackers obtained access at two container terminals by using spear phishing attacks, by sending e-mails with attachments containing Trojan directed at port authority workers and shipping companies. They were also breaking into offices to install Key-logging devices to capture passwords. Once the computers were under their control they could track ‘their’ containers, in order to arrange pick-ups. They did this by changing location and delivery times of the containers that had the drugs in them. Due to this attack containers (mostly including drugs) disappeared, the port had to pay €200.000 for countermeasures and the police seized 250kg of cocaine in a container leaving Antwerp for Holland, after discovering 114kg of the same drug in April. Illicit drugs and contraband worth approximately US$ 365 million, firearms and approximately US$ 1,5 million were seized when authorities finally became aware. In total 1044 kilos of cocaine as well as 1099 kilos of heroin has been seized by authorities and a dozen of suspects have been arrested.
