Vivit Africa LNG tanker diverts after suspected cyberattack

The Vivit Africa LNG, a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas from the United States to Italy, experienced a systems failure that the crew reported as a suspected cyberattack. The vessel was sailing through the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas in early September when the crew lost access to certain internal control systems.

Following the incident, the ship remained off the Italian coast without discharging its cargo. It has since diverted from its intended destination near Rovigo and is currently sailing toward Algeciras, Spain, passing near Tunisia. The vessel is owned by South Korea’s H-Line Shipping and is under a long-term lease with the Vitol Group.

While the crew reported the event as a potential cyberattack to the technical adviser Korean Register, official statements from the Italian Coast Guard described the event as a “malfunction in the systems used to monitor cargo parameters.” Investigations into the cause of the failure are ongoing, and the identity of any potential perpetrator has not been established.