French authorities have launched an investigation into a suspected cyberattack plot targeting an international passenger ferry, with a Latvian crew member now in custody facing charges of acting on behalf of an unidentified foreign power.
The country’s Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, appeared to suggest Russia was the suspected culprit, stating that “foreign interference very often comes from same country.”
The incident comes as France and other European allies of Ukraine have accused Russia of engaging in “hybrid warfare” tactics, including sabotage, assassinations, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns, which are often difficult to directly attribute to Moscow.
The General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), France’s counterespionage and counter-terror intelligence service, was alerted by Italian authorities to intelligence suggesting that “RAT” software – a type of remote access tool often used by cybercriminals – may have infected computer systems aboard a ferry docked in the French Mediterranean port of Sète.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the software could have been used to take control of the vessel’s computers, though the ferry itself was not named.
Mr Nunez described the affair as “very serious,” telling public broadcaster France Info that “individuals tried to gain access to a ship’s data-processing system.”
When questioned on whether the intention was to hijack the vessel, he responded: “We don’t know,” adding that “the investigators appear to be following a trail of interference … foreign interference.”
Police arrested two crew members, one Latvian and one Bulgarian, last Friday after they were identified as suspects by Italian authorities. The Bulgarian national was subsequently released without charge following questioning. The Latvian national remains in custody, facing a preliminary criminal conspiracy charge and two preliminary charges related to hacking, all with the alleged goal of serving the interests of an unnamed foreign power. Search raids were also conducted in Latvia, though Latvian state police declined to comment.
The ferry has since returned to operation after undergoing security checks on its computer system while held in port, the prosecutor’s office confirmed.
