Safety at Sea, BIMCO publish cybersecurity whitepaper

The following is text of a news release from BIMCO:

(COPENHAGEN, Denmark) — Safety at Sea and BIMCO have published a whitepaper containing advice based on results and findings from cybersecurity surveys produced over the past four years, as well as on feedback and knowledge from experts at roundtable events.

Safety at Sea, its parent company IHS Markit and its partner BIMCO have been conducting surveys for years and the whitepaper, supported by ABS Advanced Solutions, combines an analysis of four years (2016-2019) of survey findings and feedback from experts and matches them to cyberbehavior and investment trends observable in the wider maritime industry.

“BIMCO takes cybersecurity very seriously and we are continually working on raising awareness among shipowners about cyber-risks and how to prepare for cyberincidents,” says Aron Sorensen, head of maritime technology and regulation at BIMCO.

In the four years that Safety at Sea has partnered with BIMCO to run the Maritime Cybersecurity Survey, a notable shift in industry attitudes to a greater understanding of the threats it faces has been detected, largely boosted by the 2017 Maersk cyberincident. Conversations have evolved from awareness to preparedness and this year’s survey showed that companies are working to protect their IT systems, operational technology systems and against vulnerabilities introduced by third parties.

However, the size and scope of the cybersecurity threat within the maritime sector are still largely unknown, due in part to shipowners’ reluctance to share their experiences for fear of reputational damage.

From the whitepaper, readers will gain a comprehensive overview of the key cybersecurity issues facing maritime, touching upon past major incidents and industry-best practice, as well as practical advice on prevention and recovery. The paper also focuses on risk assessment, training and cultural change, insurance and operational technology.

This year, BIMCO, CLIA, ICS, INTERCARGO, InterManager, INTERTANKO, IUMI, OCIMF and WSC published version 3.0 of The Guidelines on Cybersecurity onboard Ships, which offers guidance to shipowners and operators on how to assess their operations and develop the necessary procedures and actions to improve resilience and maintain integrity of systems on board their ships.

By Professional Mariner Staff