Autonomous Shipping and Cybersecurity

Abstract

Currently, as a result of new communications technologies, autonomous ships are even closer to our seas than we could think. But, besides un-doubted advantages, it gives rise to uncertainties and challenges in several aspects, which include those related to the fields of cybersecurity and legislation, in relation to international regulations and national laws. The aspects of autonomous shipping are included in the information regulations of Bureau Veritas, and additional specific tags have been created to collect the cybersecurity/cyberprotection aspects of such ships. The objective of this article is to present the current status and the foreseeable evolution of the regulations on autonomous shipping from the point of view of a Classification Society, as well as the current evolution of the methodologies concerning cybersecurity.