A Sea of Cyber Threats: Maritime Cybersecurity from the Perspective of Mariners

Maritime systems, including ships and ports, are critical components of global infrastructure, essential for transporting over 80% of the world's goods and supporting internet connectivity. However, these systems face growing cybersecurity threats, as shown by recent attacks disrupting Maersk, on...

Maritime Cybersecurity: Threats & Regulations Loom

This review summarizes the key insights shared during the webinar held on April 9th, which featured maritime cybersecurity experts discussing the growing challenges facing ports, logistics operations, and global supply chains...

What goes into testing a ship?

TL;DR Testing a ship involves identifying and mitigating cybersecurity risks using the "Identify, Prevent, Detect, Respond, Recover" framework. Guidelines include MSC.42898, BIMCO, IACS UR E26/E27, and ISO standards. New builds and existing vessels require proper documentation and network securit...

Cyber threats to shipping explained

TL;DR Modern vessels are becoming increasingly connected. While it is unlikely that hackers could fully control a container ship remotely, they may be able to disrupt systems such as the Power Management System PMS, leading to blackouts and associated loss of propulsion and steering. Although...

Can ships be hacked?

Photo: David Adams, MV Dali and the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse - 240326-A-SE916-6662, A layer has been added showing a character and a speech bubble, CC0 1.0 TL;DR Ships can be hacked Was the MV Dali hacked? Practically impossible Polarised views from uninformed commentators do not help...

Are you cyber seaworthy?

The decision to set sail in a commercial vessel rests with the captain. A captain with years of experience and training, who is skilled at sailing and navigating in all conditions. Increasingly, the state of a vessel’s cyber security will affect its seaworthiness. Yet in future we may expect a...

Researcher: Not Hard for a Hacker to Capsize a Ship at Sea

Maritime transport still contributes in an important way to the world’s economy, with on-time shipments influencing everything from commodities availability and spot pricing to the stability of small countries. Unfortunately, capsizing a ship with a cyberattack is a relatively low-skill enterpris...

GAO Shipping Port Cybersecurity Report

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA have been taken to the woodshed in a General Accounting Office GAO report on maritime cybersecurity. The GAO said the response to mandates to improve computer security efforts to protect the network...