Sea-Invest

Sea-Invest is a major global terminal operator headquartered in Belgium. It provides port terminal services for dry bulk, liquid bulk, containerized cargo, and fruit. The company operates multiple international terminals, serving shipping lines, logistics providers, and cargo owners in various markets. Its core business involves the handling, storage, and transfer of goods at maritime gateways to connect sea and land transport.

In January 2022 Sea-Invest was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted operations at several of its terminals worldwide. While the dry bulk division continued without interruption, liquid bulk operations resumed within days, whereas container and fruit‑handling activities faced prolonged delays. The response was assisted by the Belgian cyber‑security firm Secutec, which isolated the malware and rebuilt systems using intact backups with a team of forty experts working continuously. Belgian authorities, including the Federal Computer Crime Unit, joined the investigation, which examined possible ties to ransomware groups such as BlackCat and Conti but found no evidence of coordination with simultaneous attacks on oil infrastructure in neighboring countries. Sea‑Invest confirmed it did not communicate with the attackers and relied on law‑enforcement support to restore services.

The incident demonstrated that Sea‑Invest organizes its operations into distinct divisions for dry bulk, liquid bulk, containers, and fruit, allowing one segment to remain unaffected while others were impacted. It also highlighted the company’s reliance on robust backup procedures and external cyber‑security expertise to recover quickly from ransomware events. Although container and fruit handling experienced extended downtime, the swift restoration of liquid bulk services showed the resilience built into critical parts of its infrastructure. These characteristics reflect Sea‑Invest’s positioning as a terminal operator with a diversified cargo portfolio and a global terminal network.