The Insider Risk: Why Your Greatest Vulnerability Might Be Wearing a Crew Uniform
Your greatest cybersecurity vulnerability isn't a remote hacker, or an outdated satellite terminal. It's someone with a crew uniform, and legitimate access to every system on board. You probably heard about the ferry incident in Sète last month. A crew member on the GNV Fantastic — a 2,000-passenger vessel operating between France and North Africa — was arrested after authorities found malware on the ship's systems. It was software that could allow remote control of the vessel's operating systems. The attack vector? No sophisticated hack. No external breach. Just a USB port and someone who already had access.
The Risk On Board
We talk a lot about exploiting and compromising access to vessels from the external attacker point of view in this industry. Important, yes. But the ferry incident is a reminder of something owners and managers don't like to think about and lack the tools to properly verify or control: your crew has access. The question is whether you've verified what they're doing with it. This is what the maritime industry calls the "insider threat."
Crew rotates constantly. Background checks focus on certifications and sea time — just above surface. Personal devices connect freely to onboard networks. And unlike cargo ships, yachts carry people whose communications, locations, and business dealings are genuinely valuable to those who have interest, motive, and capability.
Think about what a compromised crew member could reach: guest itineraries, financial transactions, private conversations, camera feeds, navigation plans, satellite communications. All of it is assumed to be private.
The GNV Fantastic wasn't a one-off. And insurers need to be asking harder questions about crew vetting and digital access before they'll extend coverage.
What EPCYBER recommends
You don't need to turn your yacht into a surveillance operation. You need awareness, process, and verification.
Vetting beyond. We regularly find crew credentials sitting in breach databases (A LOT) — traced back to CVs uploaded to recruitment agencies years ago (and such agencies being breached without even suspecting it). Know what's out there before someone else uses it.
Segmentation. Guest Wi-Fi, crew devices, entertainment, and operational systems should never share infrastructure. A compromised device shouldn't become a pathway to navigation controls.
Audit physical access. USB ports on bridge systems should be disabled or monitored. Third-party vendor connections need logging.
For charter, this gets more complicated. Rotating crews across multiple principals, multiple seasons — it's a lot of hands on your systems. Management companies are already fielding questions from insurers about cyber protocols during handovers. The yachts that command premium rates in 2026 won't just promise privacy and security. They'll be able to have the processes implemented, to ensure it.
By Eva Prokofiev, Founder & CEO, EPCYBER
EPCYBER offers vessel cyber risk assessments, crew cyber awareness training, and digital exposure checks.
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