Challenge: Brute Force the Bridge: Breaking into ShipComms

Overview

You're a cybersecurity analyst tasked with auditing the security of a vessel's Ship Communication Dashboard. During assessment, you discover that the system allows extremely weak password policies — in fact, the admin's password is password123. This poses a serious risk as the dashboard is responsible for:

• Communicating with Port Authorities
• Exchanging navigational and distress signals with other vessels
 

You must: 

• Simulate a brute-force attack to obtain the admin password.
• Analyze the root cause behind this vulnerability.
• Propose security measures to harden authentication.

Objectives

 

• Demonstrate brute-force attacks using "John the Ripper".
• Identify poor password policy implementation.
• Recommend best practices for secure authentication.
• Understand how misconfigured maritime systems increase cyber risk.
 

Instructions

1. Read carefully the provided materials on resources section.
2. Enter the Moodle course and read the instructions how to connect there: https://course.cybersea-project.eu/
3. Complete the interactive tasks to practice password cracking.

Resources

• John the ripper documentation

Outcome

Once you have completed this challenge, you will have a better understanding of misconfigured maritime systems increase cyber risk.