Coast Guard discloses role in probe of Chinese ship-to-shore cranes

Cyber operators at the U.S. Coast Guard were behind the discovery of unauthorized communications equipment in Chinese-made cranes, a major finding last Congress that set off alarm bells on the Hill, Coast Guard Guard officers said.

In a presentation at the DEFCON hacking conference, Kenny Miltenberger and Nick Fredericksen, lieutenant commanders for two Coast Guard cyber protection teams, said the service has conducted 11 cybersecurity missions in recent years at U.S. ports.

Over the course of those, the Coast Guard discovered cellular modems embedded in cranes and supporting infrastructure made by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries that U.S. port operators weren’t even aware of, Miltenberger told POLITICO in an interview ahead of his speech.

Read more at Politico