Maritime Companies Warned of Cyber Attacks

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is asking shipping and maritime companies to be vigilant to the potential commercial impact that cyber attacks can cause.

IMB says that cybersecurity is not only about trying to identify and to prevent systems on board ships from getting hacked. “There is also a very real danger that emails being sent to and from ships are monitored or altered. This could have huge commercial effect on vessels,” an IMB spokesman said.

At its recent Maritime Safety Committee meeting, the International Maritime Organization approved interim guidelines on maritime cyber risk management. The recommendations are aimed at enabling stakeholders to take necessary steps to safeguard shipping from current and emerging threats and vulnerabilities related to digitization, integration and automation of processes and systems in shipping.

A new study led by England’s Plymouth University’s Maritime Cyber Threats Research Group established that vessels are under significant threat of cyber attack because many are carrying outdated software and were not designed with cybersecurity in mind.

It said traditionally, attacks on ships have included piracy, boarding and theft, and while these attacks have often been successful and continue, they are well understood. In contrast, the research says cyber attacks are stealthier, and have a range of potential implications including business disruption, financial loss, damage to reputation, damage to goods and environment, incident response cost, and fines and/or legal issues.

The research suggests maritime cyber attacks would most likely target systems responsible for navigation, propulsion, and cargo-related functions, with many incentives for attackers, given that over 90 percent of world trade occurs via the oceans. It adds that operators could easily mitigate against such dangers by updating security systems, improving ship design and providing better training for crews.

Kylie Bull began her career in television news at ITN in the UK before moving to print journalism. She has been an editor at IHS Jane's for sixteen years, where she continues today, and was recently the managing editor at Homeland Security Today. Bull has reported on a wide variety of security, geopolitical and counterterrorism subjects and has interviewed world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

ON DEMAND: Business-impacting events such as severe weather, man-made disasters, and supply chain disruption are increasing in frequency and making impacts around the globe.

In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, organizations face an ever-growing array of disruptive events, security threats and risks. Traditional reactive approaches to security intelligence often leave businesses vulnerable and ill-prepared to anticipate and mitigate emerging threats that could impact the safety of their people, facilities or operations.