France’s counterespionage agency is currently investigating a suspected cyberattack plot targeting an international passenger ferry, authorities reported on Wednesday. A crew member from Latvia has been detained and is facing charges related to actions allegedly undertaken on behalf of an unidentified foreign power. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez indicated that there may be a suspicion of Russian involvement, stating, “At the moment, foreign interference very often comes from the same country.”
France, along with other European allies of Ukraine, has asserted that Russia is engaged in “hybrid warfare,” employing tactics such as sabotage, assassinations, cyberattacks, disinformation, and other hostile acts that are frequently difficult to trace to Moscow. Intelligence provided by Italian authorities alerted the General Directorate of Internal Security—France’s specialised agency for counterespionage and counterterrorism—to the possibility that software, commonly utilised by cybercriminals, may have compromised the computer systems aboard a ferry docked in the French Mediterranean port of Sète, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.
The so-called RAT (Remote Access Trojan) software, which enables remote control of computer systems, could have been used to gain access to the ferry’s computer systems. Minister Nunez told public broadcaster France Info that attempts were made to access the ship’s data-processing system, describing the situation as “a very serious affair.” When asked whether the suspected intention was to hijack the vessel, he replied, “We don’t know,” and emphasised that investigators are following leads related to foreign interference.
On Friday, police arrested two crew members of the ferry, one Latvian and one Bulgarian, who had been identified as suspects by Italian authorities. The Bulgarian individual was later released without charge after being questioned. The Latvian national remains in custody, facing preliminary charges of conspiracy and hacking-related offences aimed at serving the interests of an unnamed foreign entity. Search operations were also conducted in Latvia. The Latvian state police have not provided further comments on the matter. The ferry has resumed operations following security checks on its computer systems, as indicated by the prosecutor’s office.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
