A proposed port security risk assessment approach, with application to a hypothetical port

Abstract

ABSTRACT Recently, many Port Security Risk Assessment (PSRA) approaches have been developed. However, it is important to choose the right approach for the situation at hand. The aim of this research endeavour was to undertake a comparative analysis among PSRA approaches available in the open literature in order to single out their main features and controlling parameters, with a vision to prioritise these parameters and to investigate the possibility of developing an integrated approach. Primary data were collected through a specially designed questionnaire. The questionnaire relied on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and was particularly designed and used to choose the most appropriate parameters pertinent to each of the risk factors; namely: criticality, threat, vulnerability and consequences. To test the proposed approach, a hypothetical port was designed. Then, the risks were evaluated using the proposed approach and the results are compared with those obtained using Risk Assessment and Management Tool (RAMT) approach. Analysis and comparison of results have shown superiority of the proposed approach, which has a higher number of parameters to assess risks, which, in turn, resulted in higher accuracy due to the multiplicity of evaluation factors used compared to those used in RAMT. As such, uncertainty was significantly reduced.