Cybersecurity at sea

Abstract

Over the past few years there has been growing interest in the issues of cybersecurity and maritime security, but far too little attention has been paid to the combination of the two security problems; and yet there are clear and critical points of intersection. The dependence of the international maritime community on cyberspace is substantially increasing and, thus, forges new and unexpected vulnerabilities. Maritime transport and all related activities are conducted by technology-intensive platforms, which today rely heavily on information systems. The maritime community, consisting of maritime transport, port operations, critical offshore infrastructure and digital economic transactions is heavily structured around online systems. The chapter assesses the risks and vulnerabilities of the international maritime sector in regard to cybersecurity and identifies potential tools and international measures to enhance cyber resilience in the wider maritime security field. The chapter contributes to a deeper understanding of the wider dynamics of these implications, providing the basic principles, comprehension and framework in order to apply cyber resilience together with situational awareness, business continuity plan and risk management.