- Incidents rose 18% and theft value rose 36% in 2025
- FBI warns of “cyber-enabled strategic cargo thefts”
- Basic security hygiene already goes some way to preventing attacks
The FBI has warned cybercriminals are increasingly targeting cargo shipments with hacking and impersonation tactics – and making a hefty profit doing so.
With incidents rising 18% in 2025 and the average value per theft up around 36% (to $273,990) due to criminals targeting high-value goods, losses in the US and Canada alone hit around $725 million over the year, a significant 60% year-over-year increase.
As for the nature of the attacks, it demonstrates the merging of digital and physical as attackers combine cyber and fraud techniques in what the FBI calls “cyber-enabled strategic cargo thefts.”
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Hybrid attacks
The warning reveals that attackers exploit human vulnerability to gain first access to company systems – phishing emails and fake login pages get launched to steal credentials before hackers install remote access tools to move laterally within an organization.
Once inside, they post fake shipment listings, impersonate legitimate logistics firms to accept real shipments, and reroute goods to criminals or complicit drivers.
But cargo theft isn’t the primary goal for cybercriminals – for many, it’s a tool used to fund other crimes like drug trafficking or money laundering. As for the targets within the logistics sector, shipping, freight brokerage, delivery and insurance firms are all at risk.
In terms of the impacts on a victim, many don’t even realize they’ve been attacked until their shipments go missing, with the digitalization of supply chains ultimately responsible for creating new attack surfaces.
To better protect themselves against this growing threat, companies are being warned to verify all shipment requests to ensure that the emails are legitimate. Basic cybersecurity principles also apply, including protecting accounts with multi-factor authentication.
Maintaining records of drivers, vehicles and shipments is also a good idea not just for auditing purposes, but also to help the FBI track criminals in the event that things go south.
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