How to hack a Navy vessel

With the failure of computer-controlled steering systems attributed to the collision of the U.S.S. John McCain with a merchant tanker, there is speculation of hacking as a potential culprit.

The U.S. Navy at first said they would consider the idea, but then said that the possibility was eliminated.

Likewise, the retired admirals serving as talking heads for cable news stations have said such systems are closed and thus can’t be hacked into.

As someone hired by some of the largest companies in the world to infiltrate the companies, both physically and technically, I can tell you that they can be hacked into.

To be clear, I have no direct knowledge of the security or configurations of the systems involved.

However, what follows is not a secret to U.S. hackers or adversaries. I would be shocked if those such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are not actively weaponizing the attacks that I describe.

It is the ignorance of such vulnerabilities that makes these attacks possible. The fact that retired admirals do not see these attacks as not just possibilities, but inevitabilities, is the greatest vulnerability to U.S. naval vessels. Most of these attacks have already been launched in other venues as I describe below.