The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has appointed cyber expert Ian Bramson as its Global Head of Cyber Security.

Bramson will lead the development of a cybersecurity risk reduction program to meet increasing demand for improved control and visibility of cyber risks.

“Cyber security is a business imperative as our world transforms rapidly and becomes more digital,” says Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO. “The more connected our people and systems become, the more our industry’s operations are exposed to emerging risks.”

A recognized leader with a strong track record of success in cybersecurity, Bramson has been solving cybersecurity challenges for more than 20 years.

Bramson has helped organizations solve cyber-related business challenges, such as managing the convergence of information technology with operational technology (OT), supporting risk management and enabling digital transformation. Before joining ABS, Bramson was the Global Head of Cybersecurity Sales and Strategy for Siemens AG. In this role, he worked with top leaders across the energy market to develop strategic cyber security solutions to meet their OT needs.

“As maritime becomes more digital, and cyber attackers increasingly move from traditional IT targets to actively disrupting, delaying and destroying core operations, it is critical that our clients and industry have the right knowledge and tools to reduce the likelihood of an incident and its impact on operations,” says Bramson. “I look forward to working with leaders in the Global Marine and Offshore industries to build an efficient and effective solution for sustainable, secure operations.”

Bramson’s work will build upon the ABS FCI Cyber Risk™ method, which is an easily understandable and scalable approach to measuring and managing cybersecurity risk for a single asset or an entire fleet.