Cyber-Enabled Maritime Sanctions Evasion
Brief
Executive Summary
Iranian and Russian shadow fleet vessels, along with multiple sanctions evasion networks (SENs), are using online infrastructure likely designed to facilitate sanctions evasion.
The infrastructure consists of inauthentic websites impersonating ship registries, national maritime administrations, seafarer training and certification organizations, protection and indemnity (P&I) clubs, and ship classification societies, effectively replicating key layers of the maritime compliance stack.
The websites are likely being used to circumvent maritime compliance mechanisms by generating and corroborating false documents and certificates.
The online infrastructure is consistent with a service-provider model in which threat actors offer reusable digital infrastructure, documentation, and identities, rather than operating as centrally coordinated, country-specific networks.