'Western Secrets' on Sunken Luxury Yacht?...Emergency to Protect Safe

Concerns Over Confidential Information of Deceased IT Tycoon Lynch Leaking Abroad... On-Site Security Strengthened

Last month, a hard drive containing 'sensitive' information was found on a luxury yacht that sank off the coast of Italy, claiming the lives of seven people including British billionaire Mike Lynch, prompting increased security measures to prevent theft, CNN reported on the 21st (local time).

Bayesian Lake [Captured from Italy's ANSA news agency. Resale and database prohibited] [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to CNN's interviews with professional divers and others involved in the salvage operation of the Beigean, which sank at a depth of 49 meters, the yacht contains two hard drives that could attract the interest of foreign governments such as Russia and China. The 'ultra-encrypted' hard drives, containing highly confidential information including passwords and other sensitive data, are believed to be stored in a waterproof safe.

These drives belonged to Lynch, who died in the sinking. Survivors of the accident stated that Lynch "did not trust cloud services" and kept data storage devices inside the yacht whenever he sailed. Known as the 'Bill Gates of the UK,' Lynch was an IT industry magnate who maintained relationships with U.S. and UK intelligence agencies through several companies he founded, including the cybersecurity firm Darktrace.

Concerns about the theft of Lynch's hard drives were raised by the divers responsible for searching the hull. The divers reported that while authorities initially feared thieves might target the expensive jewelry and valuables remaining on the yacht, they are now worried about access by foreign governments such as Russia or China.

Italian authorities have accepted the divers' requests to strengthen surveillance of the yacht both in and out of the water and are implementing additional security measures. After completing the hull inspection, the divers plan to propose a method to salvage the yacht without causing fuel leakage.

The Beigean, owned by a company of Lynch's wife, sank while anchored about 700 meters off the Porticello harbor in Palermo, Sicily, in the early hours of the 19th of last month. Of the 22 people on board (12 passengers and 10 crew members), only 15 were rescued, including Lynch's wife and their one-year-old baby. The cause of the sinking is believed to be a waterspout phenomenon, known as a tornado at sea, but the Italian prosecutor's office is investigating without ruling out the possibility of human error.