France Arrests Latvian Crew for Malware on Italian Ferry

French authorities have arrested a Latvian crew member suspected of installing remote-access malware on an Italian passenger ferry docked in the Mediterranean port of Sète, sparking an investigation into potential foreign interference in maritime systems.

The incident involved the Fantastic, a vessel operated by the Italian shipping company Grandi Navi Veloci that carries over 2,000 passengers on routes between Sète and North Africa. Italian authorities detected the breach and alerted their French counterparts, leading to the detention of two crew members last Friday. The Bulgarian national was released without charges, while the Latvian, who had recently joined the ship, remains in custody in Paris. Prosecutors have opened a case accusing an organized group of attempting to attack automated data-processing systems to serve the interests of a foreign power. The suspect faces preliminary charges of criminal conspiracy, computer system intrusion, and possession of equipment capable of interfering with navigation systems.

Investigators from France's General Directorate for Internal Security, the country's counterespionage agency, determined that the malware was a Remote Access...