Deep Dive – Ballast System Hack
Ballast System Hack
Ever been asked to hack a boat?
When Luca Cipriano and Jeroen Scheerder were given the challenge, they took an unexpected approach—step one: build the boat themselves.
It was a scale model, but they made sure it closely mirrored a real boat’s systems. With help from Damen Shipyards engineers, they even included a working ballast system. Of course the next step was to hack said ballast system.
In this Threat Talks episode, host Lieuwe Jan Koning is joined by ON2IT’s boat building team: Luca Cipriano and Jeroen Scheerder. The three of them walk through the process of building the boat, the why, the how, and the fun they had whilst working on this project.
Of course, without giving too much away, they also talk about how they hacked the boat’s ballast system, as always making sure to discuss how a hack like that could have been prevented.
Curious if they succeeded in building and hacking a boat?
Infographic
Check the infographic for a complete overview of the Boat Ballast System Hack and other Threats featured in the Hack the Boat Threat Talks.
Your cybersecurity experts
Lieuwe Jan Koning
Co-Founder and CTO, ON2IT Group
Luca Cipriano
Threat Intel Specialist, ON2IT
Jeroen Scheerder
Security Architect, ON2IT
Episode details
A ship’s ballast system ensures it stays stable in rough seas and under heavy loads.
It works by using the one resource that’s always available at sea—water. Large compartments called ballast tanks fill and empty with seawater, helping the ship counterbalance shifting cargo and avoid tipping over.
But can such a system be hacked?
In this episode of Threat Talks, host Lieuwe Jan is joined by Luca Cipriano and Jeroen Scheerder to discuss how they built a realistic scale model of a container ship—and then hacked its ballast system, successfully tilting the ship.
While tilting may not sound as dramatic as capsizing, it’s crucial to remember that these ships often carry hundreds or even thousands of containers. If the ship tilts too much, those containers could start falling overboard.
Tune in for this Deep Dive into how a ballast system can be hacked and the serious consequences this can lead to.
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