Major US port target of attempted cyber attack

The Port of Houston, a major U.S. port, was targeted in an attempted cyber attack last month, the Port shared in a statement on Thursday.

“The Port of Houston Authority (Port Houston) successfully defended itself against a cybersecurity attack in August,” the statement reads. “Port Houston followed its Facilities Security Plan in doing so, as guided under the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), and no operational data or systems were impacted as a result.” 

The attempted hack involved a password management program called ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus, according to The Associated Press.

In a joint statement last week, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency along with the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard said that the vulnerability in the software creates a serious threat to critical infrastructure companies, defense contractors, and others. 

This comes as some major U.S. companies such as Colonial Pipeline and JBS USA have experienced similar ransomware cyberattacks in 2021. 

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) told the newswire that the attack was “concerning,”, saying that the country needs to “push back against these nation-state actors who continue to probe and to commit these crimes against our public and private sector entities.”