On July 31, 2024, a mistake by an employee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) led to the accidental exposure of 159 personal or business e-mail addresses together with full names. Following this data leakage, the situation was clarified: the mistake was due to personal oversight and was in no way intentional. The e-mail sent contained a list of addresses that was mistakenly shared with everyone on the list. The recipients were asked to delete the e-mail to protect the privacy of those affected.
This incident marks the second cyber-related issue for IMO. Previously, in October 2020, IMO suffered a significant cyber attack. During that incident, the organization’s central IT systems were targeted, leading to the temporary shutdown of its website and web-based services. The attack caused significant disruptions to IMO’s IT infrastructure, prompting a comprehensive review and improvement process.
While the recent incident is viewed as a result of human error, it also highlights a technical vulnerability. Similar data leaks have occurred in other organizations due to such errors. Therefore, mass e-mails should be sent using software or services specifically designed for this purpose. This cyber incident cannot be dismissed as merely human error; it must also be considered a technical weakness. To address these challenges and prevent similar incidents in the future, IMO urgently needs to strengthen its cyber security strategies and implement stricter measures. This incident underscores the critical importance of cyber security in the maritime industry.
