Security – Professional Mariner

21 Jan

Global maritime piracy, armed robbery increased in 2025

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLicensing and training, piracy, Security

(LONDON) — The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has reported an increase in global maritime piracy and armed robbery in 2025, classifying most cases as low level. According to the IMB Annual Piracy and Armed Robbery Report, 137 incidents against ships were recorded in 2025 compared to 116 in 2024 and 120 in 2023. It revealed that 121 vessels were boarded, four…

02 Dec

ABS Consulting publishes new guidance on Coast Guard cyber rule

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsLicensing and training, Security

(HOUSTON) — ABSG Consulting Inc. (ABS Consulting), a global leader in safety, risk and asset integrity management, has released a paper to support vessel and facility owners and operators in meeting compliance with the U.S. Coast Guard’s Maritime Cyber Rule. This paper outlines practical steps to meet the first cybersecurity training deadline of Jan. 12, 2026. Titled "From Final Rule…

03 Nov

Healy monitors foreign research vessels on Arctic voyage

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSecurity, U.S. Coast Guard

(SEATTLE) — The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy (WAGB 20) returned to its Seattle home port Sunday following a 129-day patrol that concluded its annual Arctic deployment. Healy, one of three Coast Guard polar icebreakers, steamed over 20,000 miles this deployment, supporting Operation Arctic West Summer and Operation Frontier Sentinel, protecting U.S. sovereign rights and territory, and promoting national security…

29 Oct

New AWO video highlights industry’s role in national security

Professional Mariner StaffTugboats & TowingSecurity

(ARLINGTON, Va.) — While the mariners who transport cargo and facilitate commerce on America’s rivers, coasts, harbors and Great Lakes are critical to powering the economy, they also play a vital role in safeguarding our nation. This video from the American Waterways Operators (AWO) highlights the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry’s contributions to U.S. national and homeland security.

27 Oct

Ransomware still top maritime cyber threat, ABS analyst says

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsCyberthreats, Licensing and training, Security

(SPRING, Texas) — Maritime operations run on tight schedules and thin margins, and as ships, terminals and supply chains connect systems for visibility and efficiency, attackers gain paths to entry. Cyber risk has become an operational reliability and safety concern, not just an information technology (IT) issue. “Whether we are looking at this challenge through an operational or organizational safety…

21 Oct

Carpenter: ‘America First’ requires the Jones Act

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsJones Act, Security, shipbuilding

By Jennifer Carpenter It comes as no surprise that President Donald Trump is building a legacy as a consequential maritime president. After all, there are few areas of our economy that are more "America First" than the U.S. maritime industry. We have been a maritime nation since our founding, and the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly known as the…

06 Oct

MarAd advisory: Foreign tech threats and cyber influence

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Ports, Security

(WASHINGTON) — This advisory from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) continues to alert maritime stakeholders of potential vulnerabilities to maritime port equipment, networks, operating systems, software and infrastructure. Foreign companies manufacture, install and maintain port equipment that creates vulnerabilities to global maritime infrastructure information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems. In the past few years, the U.S. government has…

26 Sep

Polar Star returns home after service life extension

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreakers, Security, U.S. Coast Guard

(SEATTLE) — After 308 days away from its Seattle home port, the 49-year-old U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew returned home Tuesday. Upon completing Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) 2025, Polar Star returned directly to Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, Calif., to complete the final year of a five-year Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). Polar Star's…

16 Jun

MarAd alert: Potential threat to shipping near Iran

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Maritime alerts, safety, Security, shipping

Threat type: Potential retaliatory strikes by Iranian forces Geographic area: Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Sea (WASHINGTON) — At approximately 0100 UTC on June 13, Israel commenced military strikes against targets in Iran. Due to the now heightened tensions in this region, U.S.-flagged commercial vessels operating throughout this region are strongly encouraged to maintain close…

12 Feb

GAO finds gaps in Coast Guard’s cybersecurity strategy

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsCyberthreats, Security, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Owners and operators of U.S. maritime facilities and vessels rely on systems that are connected to internal and external networks – including the internet. These facilities and vessels face heightened cybersecurity risks from certain nations and transnational criminal organizations. The U.S. Coast Guard provides guidance for and inspects facilities and vessels that are subject to cybersecurity-related requirements. But…