An unidentified external actor struck North Carolina Ports on Tuesday, August 5, compromising IT systems across all three of the authority’s facilities: the Port of Wilmington, the Port of Morehead City, and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport inland port. Staff moved to manual processing to keep cargo moving, and while gate operations have since resumed at some locations, delays are expected as systems are restored. The authority collectively handles more than four million tons of cargo per year, making any prolonged outage significant for regional supply chains.
The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating alongside North Carolina state agencies and an external forensics firm that was engaged immediately after the incident. No ransomware group has claimed responsibility and no ransom demand has been publicly reported. Officials described the breach as “contained” but declined to characterize the extent of data accessed or which systems were affected. The attack adds to a growing pattern of cyberattacks targeting U.S. port and maritime infrastructure; the Coast Guard has responded to several similar incidents in recent years.