KYV (Know Your Vessel)

Vessel-level screening that verifies a ship’s flag, classification society, P&I cover, registered and beneficial ownership, IMO number history, and AIS behavior before fixing or insuring it. OFAC’s 14 May 2020 maritime advisory recommends exactly this: continuous AIS monitoring, checking for flag-hopping and identity tampering, and confirming the ownership chain. The IMO number is the stable identifier because it survives renaming and reflagging, so KYV anchors on it to detect a vessel masking a sanctions history.