Report: Sunken yacht of British tycoon Mike Lynch contains ‘confidential information’ that could be of interest to China and Russia

The sunken superyacht of British technology magnate Mike Lynch, who died in a shipwreck off the coast of Sicily in August, is said to contain sensitive intelligence data that could attract the interest of the Chinese and Russian governments.

Italian divers investigating the wreck of the $40 million yacht called Bayesian have called for increased security measures to protect the site, according to CNNProsecutors investigating the fatal accident fear that the ship may contain data linked to Western intelligence services.

Classified information

The 56-meter-long yacht, which sank in a violent storm, is said to have waterproof safes with two super-encrypted hard drives storing top-secret information, including passwords and other sensitive data. CNN reported, citing several sources. Specialized divers with remote-controlled cameras have extensively searched the boat, which is lying on the seabed at a depth of 50 meters.

Lynch, whose wife owned the yacht, had ties to British, US and other intelligence agencies through his various companies, including cybersecurity firm Darktrace. He also served as an adviser to former British prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May on science, technology and cybersecurity. US media reports say local authorities are concerned that the wreckage, which is due to be recovered in the coming weeks as part of the criminal investigation, could be of interest to foreign governments, including Russia and China.

A formal request for additional security of the wreckage has been granted until that request can be resolved. Seven people were killed in the tragedy, including Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah and other passengers. Preliminary autopsy results suggest some died from asphyxiation or “dry drowning” when oxygen in an air pocket in a sleeping cabin ran out.

“Didn’t trust cloud services”

Survivors told prosecutors that Lynch “did not trust cloud services” and always kept data storage devices in a secure compartment of the yacht. The cruise was reportedly a celebration of Lynch’s acquittal in a US fraud case in June, although Hewlett Packard is still seeking $4 billion in civil damages from his estate. Lynch’s business partner Stephen Chamberlain, who was his co-defendant in the US fraud case, died the same day the yacht sank after he was hit by a car while jogging.

Chamberlain’s lawyer said he was in a coma and knew nothing about the shipwreck. No personal items or hard drives have been recovered from the ship so far. However, the hard drives on board and the security cameras connected to the yacht’s navigation system have been turned over to investigators to see if there is any usable data that could shed light on how the yacht sank within 16 minutes of the storm.

After divers examine the wreck, they will make suggestions on how best to raise the 473-ton vessel without spilling the 18,000 liters of oil and fuel still on board, and how to ensure that no sensitive data falls into the wrong hands. The cost of salvaging the vessel will be borne by Lynch’s widow, as required by Italian maritime law. While the investigation into the Bayesian’s sinking continues, heightened security measures are in place to protect the potentially sensitive intelligence data on board.