MCAD Maritime Cyber Attack Database
Year2021 |
MonthFebruary |
Reference number20210201 |
Impact areaVessel |
Incident locationBaltic Sea, near Kaliningrad |
Incident country |
Victim countrySweden |
Victim identityNine Swedish Navy vessels |
Victim TypeNavy, Vessel |
MethodAIS Spoofing |
Attacker countryRussia |
In February 2021, the AIS location of nine Swedish naval vessels was spoofed. By fabricating the AIS locations of the 9 Swedish Navy vessels, the threat actor Russia positions the navy vessels near the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. While in reality the vessels are nowhere near the fabricated positions and are actually somewhere else. The reason Russia does this, is provocation. This substantiates Russian aggressive behaviour in response to what appears to be a naval raid. In other words, these ghost readings could be about painting Russia as the victim of international prodding. There have been nearly a hundred of these incidents with NATO naval vessels.
