The $40 USD million Bayesian, owned by British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, sank off the coast of Italy last month, killing seven people.
Divers discovered safes containing encrypted hard drives believed to hold sensitive intelligence related to Lynch’s cybersecurity work.
Authorities intensified security around the wreck to prevent foreign powers from accessing the classified information, fearing espionage attempts.
Every summer, the azure Mediterranean attracts its share of high-tech superyacht mishaps, sinking and fires; last month, though, a catastrophic sinking of the 184-foot yacht Bayesian off the coast of Italy has started serious concerns far beyond the usual sea calamities-sensitive intelligence data is believed to be hidden in safes onboard-and the authorities have launched an unprecedented security operation around the wreckage.
The $40 million USD yacht, carrying British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, dubbed ‘the British Bill Gates’, was destroyed in a violent storm off Sicily on August 19, killing seven people, including Lynch. Known for his innovative work in cybersecurity, Lynch was vacationing with family and friends when tragedy struck. The incident has since turned into a high-profile investigation, with Italian prosecutors have launched a criminal probe into multiple charges of manslaughter and negligent shipwreck.
Mike Lynch has reportedly worked with British and American intelligence agencies and possesses classified information. Image: Sky News
As specialist divers reached the bottom of the wreckage, they made a surprising discovery of watertight safes containing encrypted hard drives. It is believed that these digital vaults hold classified information related to Lynch’s cybersecurity firm, Darktrace, and other possible intelligence-related data.
With Lynch’s reported links to international intelligence agencies, including British and American services, the implications are immense—creating ripples through Western intelligence circles.
Now a serious threat has arisen that unfriendly nations such as Russia or China could endeavor to retrieve this underwater treasure of top-secret information. As a result, security around the Bayesian’s wreckage has been dramatically intensified. Underwater surveillance systems have been deployed until the yacht can be salvaged.
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The superyacht Bayesian wreck lies 164 feet underwater. Image: The Sun
Survivors of the shipwreck described Lynch to them as a man who was highly suspicious of cloud services and took his data drives with him in a safe compartment of the yacht wherever he sailed. This paranoia may have inadvertently created a ticking time bomb of classified information now lying 164 feet below the surface.
A Monumental Task
The salvage operation presents a Herculean challenge. Among the issues divers have to resolve are not only the potentially explosive nature of the intelligence data, but also the environmental hazard caused by almost 4,800 gallons of oil and fuel still aboard. This also increases the operation’s complexity since evidence needs to be preserved for the continuous criminal investigation. A Sicilian civil protection authority told CNN:
“A formal request has been accepted and implemented for additional security of the wreckage until it can be raised.”
The sunken yacht will stay under constant surveillance until it can be recovered in the coming weeks, a process integral to the criminal probe against the ship’s captain and two crew members.
The sunken yacht is under constant surveillance to prevent any potential data theft. Image: New York Post
Initial concerns by the police centred around the fact that the wreck could be targeted by treasure hunters looking for valuables. Now, concerns have shifted towards potential espionage attempts by foreign governments, elevating the sunken yacht from a tragic maritime incident to a matter of international security.
Divers will recommend the safest way to raise the 473-ton vessel once extensive surveys of the wreck are complete, balancing the delicate tasks of preserving potential evidence, securing classified information, and preventing an environmental disaster.
The Search for Answers
The tragedy has cast a long shadow over the Mediterranean’s glittering superyacht scene. Among those who lost their lives were Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah, the chef Ricardo Thomas, New York City attorney Christopher Morvillo, his wife Neda, Morgan Stanley executive Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy. Angela Bacares, Lynch’s wife and Hannah’s mother, was among the fortunate 15 who escaped the vessel as it sank.
With the cause of the falling of the yacht yet to be tentatively established, prosecutors are investigating whether the fault lies with the captain, James Cutfield. Under maritime law, the captain is wholly responsible for the safety of his ship, crew members, and passenger.
