Abstract
The starting point of the paper is the recognition of the growing threat of cyber-attacks to commercial maritime. Constantly growing dependency on technology has obvious advantages, on the other hand, however, it makes commercial maritime vessels progressively more vulnerable to cyber-crime, including GPS signal interference, malware attacks or even gaining control over ships’ systems and networks. The main objective of the paper is to present and discuss the Guidelines on Cyber Security Onboard Ships developed by the International Maritime Organization, including best practices for implementation of cyber risk management. The article’s goal is to summarize the guidelines and to familiarize the reader with the reasons why and the methods how they should be implemented. The paper is concluded with an example how the Guidelines can be adopted by national authorities, i.e., a brief presentation of “Code of Practice: Cyber Security for Ships” – a document developed by the British government that transposes the IMO guidelines.
Highlights
In an increasingly connected and technologically dependent world, new areas of vulnerability are emerging
Ships are increasingly using systems that rely on digitization, integration, and automation, which calls for cyber risk management on board
The Guidelines on Cyber Security Onboard Ships are aligned with the IMO guidelines and provide practical recommendations on maritime cyber risk management covering both cyber security and cyber safety (BIMCO et al, 2018)
Summary
In an increasingly connected and technologically dependent world, new areas of vulnerability are emerging. Significant technological advances in these areas are becoming more ubiquitous, providing the crew with a more comprehensive view on what is happening inside and outside of the ship, often in real time These capabilities include, but are not limited to, global positioning systems (GPS), marine Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), and the Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) and the associated digital nautical charts. Fewer human crewmembers are needed to man modern day ships This dependency on technology increases the vessel’s presence in the cyber domain, increasing its chances of being targeted and offering new vectors for such attacks. The signal can deter signal recovery or even overload receiver circuitry While this may not normally be an issue for a marine vessel on the open sea, if an attacker were to introduce an interference device, disguised and loaded as cargo, this GPS vulnerability may be exploited. It is a well-known fact that technological advances always precede at an exceptional rate whilst the regulation at best can follow linearly
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