This Infographic Shows How Easy It Is To ‘Cyber-Hijack’ A Ship

An increasing reliance on technology in transportation makes ships and other vessels more susceptible to hijacking than they used to be.

It’s possible for hackers to access navigational systems and send ships off course, as this Reuters graphic shows:

In October, researchers exposed how easy it is for a system that broadcasts the locations of ships to be compromised. They were even able to issue fake emergency alerts with cheap radio equipment.

After Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared mid-flight, a British anti-terrorism expert suggested that it might have been hijacked using codes to infiltrate the plane’s security software. That theory suggested hijackers could have changed the direction and altitude of the plane with radio signals sent from a small device.

NATO’s quick reaction alert scrambled to follow Russian bombers over the North Sea

Quick reaction alert units from three NATO air forces shadowed yesterday two Russian bombers, flying on a 12,000 kilometer sortie over the North Sea

Russian bombers Flying on a 16 hour training mission over the North Sea, two Russian Tu-95 bombers (NATO reporting name: ’Bear’) were intercepted yesterday by British, Dutch and Danish fighter jets. It is not the first time such an event happens, but this one has attracted the media attention due to the heightened tension over Russian military activity in Ukraine. The two bombers, built to carry nuclear weapons, were flying a direct route on Wednesday north from Russia’s Kola Peninsula towards the Bear Island in the northern part of the Barents Sea. North of the Bear Island, they turned around southwest towards the Norwegian Sea and continued south towards the North Sea.

The Russians confirmed that Tu-95MS strategic bombers were on a mission over international waters of the North Sea. On these flights air crews are trained to navigate over featureless terrain and perform aerial refuelling. On part of their mission the bombers were escorted by MiG-31 supersonic interceptors. An A-50 airborne early warning aircraft also supported the mission. The Russian Defense Ministry insisted that these flights are carried out “in strict accordance with international regulations” and do not violate the borders of other countries.