A passenger ferry was found to be infected with a Remote Access Trojan — malware that can hand control of vital systems to someone who is not on board. That description alone should make anyone who runs a small or medium business sit up straight and take immediate action. This was not a hypothetical film plot; it happened to the Fantastic, a vessel carrying more than 2,000 people, docked in Sète. Someone plugged into the ship’s brain, and for a time, at least on paper, could have steered systems from afar.
Why this matters beyond headlines
Hackers don’t only target banks or tech giants; they go after any system where a weakness yields outsized impact. Here, a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) was discovered on operational systems that should have been segregated and tightly controlled. Authorities detained a Latvian national and opened an investigation into suspected foreign interference. France’s domestic intelligence service, the DGSI, led emergency inspections. The vessel was searched, devices were seized, checks were completed, and — thankfully — it was cleared to sail again.
But think about the consequences if the malware had been more advanced, or if detection had come too late. Navigation, communications, safety alarms — these are not just lines on a network diagram. They are human lives, cargo, schedules, reputation and livelihoods. Emotions run high when the abstract becomes tangible: fear, anger, resolve. I remember a call with a shipping manager who described feeling physically sick the moment he realised a system had been compromised. That feeling is real. It should galvanise action.
What we must learn — quickly
First, automatic assumptions are dangerous. The initial media chatter pointed fingers at a state actor; that is entirely reasonable given geopolitical context. But the lawyer for the detained individual urged caution, calling early theories overblown. Investigations must follow evidence. Meanwhile, operators and business owners cannot wait for answers. Preparation is not speculation. It is duty.
Second, operational and information technology segregation matters. You cannot expect a vessel’s navigation system to be safe if it is casually networked to an internet-facing laptop or a poorly secured administrative console. Isolation, strict access control, and whitelisting reduce attack surface dramatically.
Third, rapid detection and coordinated response save people and minimise damage. The DGSI’s swift action, cross-border cooperation with Latvian authorities and Eurojust’s involvement are textbook examples of how to escalate when life and national security intersect. Private organisations should mirror that urgency internally: define who calls whom, lock down systems, preserve evidence and involve authorities quickly.
Practical steps for small and medium businesses
- Segment critical systems from the internet and from general office networks. Never assume air-gapped equals invulnerable — but don’t neglect the basics.
- Apply strict remote access policies. If remote control is required, use multi-factor authentication, jump hosts with strong logging, and limit sessions to the narrowest possible scope.
- Implement continuous monitoring and anomaly detection. Log everything relevant. Look for out-of-hours logins, unusual process starts, and data flows that don’t make sense.
- Run regular incident response drills. Tabletop exercises are cheap insurance and they expose false confidence quickly.
- Harden the supply chain. Software and devices shipped from vendors can carry risk. Vet providers, insist on secure defaults, and demand transparency.
- Backup critical configurations and test restores periodically. Backups are only useful if you know they work under pressure.
These measures do not require multinational budgets. They require discipline, prioritisation and the right mindset. I once visited a small logistics firm where the IT manager had a handwritten cheat sheet beside his console: emergency contacts, basic steps to isolate systems, and a list of critical services. It was humble, but brilliant. People saved time and panic when it mattered. Small acts of preparedness compound into meaningful resilience.
Expect geopolitics to complicate things
European officials pointed to a pattern of foreign interference that has intensified since the war in Ukraine. Whether a state-sponsored actor or an organised criminal network is behind a particular incident, the fallout is similar: suspicion, diplomatic frictions, and stricter regulatory scrutiny. For businesses, the takeaway is simple: treat cyber risk like any other strategic risk. Prepare budgets, document decisions and demonstrate due diligence.
Regulators will want answers. Insurers will ask for proof of mitigation. Customers will expect transparency. When the press smells a tie to foreign interference, reputations can be damaged beyond immediate financial loss. That ripple effect matters for every SME that relies on trust.
Final note — act now, not later
The ferry incident is a harsh reminder: our infrastructure sits on software and networks that can be attacked. That reality is terrifying, but it is also empowering. We can choose to respond with fatalism or with concrete, measurable actions. Adopt basics, drill for crises, and make tough decisions about access and trust. Prepare the written plans, run the practice calls, and keep calm when the alarms blink.
Emotions will flare — fear is natural. Use that energy. Channel it into improvements. Because the next time malware is discovered on a system that moves people or goods, the people responsible will be those who prepared beforehand, and that preparation will save lives, time and reputation. That is not hyperbole. It is necessary urgency.