Maritime and port cybersecurity.

This article is also available in French.

I have mentioned this several times before: GPS signals (and GNSS more broadly) are essential for the safe day-to-day operation of the maritime sector. We have already discussed the risks associated with spoofing or jamming of these signals, the specific risks related to autonomous maritime vehicles, as well as several real-world examples, including incidents in the Persian Gulf.

On March 10, 2020, the United States formally raised concerns with the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regarding the increasing number of disruptions affecting GPS and GNSS signals. The submission, available as an IMO document (PDF), calls on the IMO to urgently address cases of jamming and spoofing that threaten the safety of ships and seafarers.

This article is also available in French.

The Bordeaux-based maritime insurer Adam Assurances has published a study on cyber risks affecting the maritime sector, available as a blog article and in PDF format.

After recalling the digital transformation underway across the maritime industry and the growing dependency that accompanies it, the insurer reviews several cyber incidents that have already affected the sector (MSC, COSCO, Maersk, among others).

This article is also available in French.

As mentioned in a recent article, the shipping company MSC was the victim of a cyberattack about a week ago. The incident disrupted the operation of its online booking systems for four days.

In a recent statement, the company confirmed the cyber origin of the incident, which affected several servers located in Geneva: “we have determined that it was a virus attack exploiting a targeted vulnerability.”

This article is also available in French.

According to Le Marin and other online sources, the shipping company MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), the world’s second-largest container shipping line, was reportedly affected by a cyber incident that disrupted its electronic booking system known as “MyMSC.” The incident occurred at a particularly difficult time, as the global shipping industry was already dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article is also available in French.

The Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has obtained cybersecurity certifications from DNV GL and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for its solution called Translink.

Translink is the company’s connected ECDIS solution, which combines traditional ECDIS hardware and software with an encrypted network link to shore. This connectivity enables, among other things, route optimization and improved exchanges between the vessel and the shipowner.

This article is also available in French.

The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), whose members include MSC, Maersk, CMA-CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and Evergreen, has published a guide along with supporting templates to help shipping companies and vessels in the container shipping sector comply with regulations issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), particularly resolution MSC.428(98).

Adopted in 2017, this resolution aims to ensure that cyber risks onboard ships are properly addressed within existing onboard risk management processes. The requirement becomes applicable starting January 2021.