STUDIES AND RESEARCH REGARDING VULNERABILITIES OF MARINE AUTONOMOUS SURFACE SYSTEMS (MASS) AND REMOTELY OPERATED VESSELS (ROVS) FROM POINT OF VIEW OF CYBERSECURITY

Abstract

In a 2020 survey of marine professionals, 77% of respondents view cyber-attacks as a high or medium risk to their organizations, yet only 64% said their organization has a business continuity plan in place to follow in the event of a cyber-incident. The study of equipment that manages autonomous ships and in general all equipment that is remotely controlled from the point of view of cyber security, is a necessity nowadays. The autonomous systems represented by remotely operated vessels (ROVs), marine autonomous surface systems (MASS) etc, have as first requirement the safety to be satisfied in their operation. These autonomous systems are composed of connected OT and IT networks, and their endowment with sensors and various cyber physical devices allow real-time data processing to consistently respond to real-world threats. In order to secure the cyber security of autonomous systems, we must consider all the elements that are vulnerable to cyber-attacks, such as the part of the hardware and the operating system used, the configuration of the OT interconnection network, the firmware protection used, all these elements considered across their entire lifecycle. Security in MASS, or USVs and ROVs is nothing new but the consequences of insecurity are critical. Flaws (including security ones) in such systems lead to safety hazards, and can kill. The present article introduces the main vulnerabilities of such remotely operated system and we try to find solution for navigate the ins and outs of cyber security on board remote operated ships, address cybersecurity challenges and compliance considerations, and get you geared up to establish your cyber security action plan. This aspect is important to consider from the design stage when referring to the maritime transport systems that host MASS, USVs and ROVs and its remote control center, e.g., the shore control center.