How to Protect The Ship From Cyber Threats?

1. How to Protect The Ship From Cyber Threats Cyber attacks are very common nowadays. Be it economic or political, no industry is safe from the malicious cyber threat. When at sea, the dangers are potentially high. In June 2017, malware “NotPetya” attacked the APMM computer network, which incurred losses almost equivalent to USD $300 million. All the APMM Container Terminals were paralyzed all over the globe. This incident affected several other shipping companies as well. This incident has triggered the IT specialists to reevaluate the technical systems, operating systems, as well as networking system on board. The knowledge of the personnel on board is highly limited and there are very few people who can supervise such malicious attacks that have the capability of crippling the entire shipping system. While the ships are all equipped with the latest alarm control or surveillance, the lack of measures against cyber threat has raised a genuine concern in owners of ships. Automated systems are used for controlling the GPS, location, trackers and speed sensors to name a few. However, these are not capable of handling serious threats. Other than these issues, the repeated attack by the viruses and malware on the ship’s systems can be traced to these common problems. These are summarized as follows: • Not working carefully with external data carriers like USB and/or external databases. • Not installing proper antivirus software or malware detectors. • Lack of understanding of the security software systems • Lack of training for the management staff on board • Using outdated systems for the ship

2. Most of these issues can be fixed. To enhance the security systems of the ships, shipping companies and owners should take certain precautionary steps. Some of these measures have been summarized as follows. • The logins and passwords to the network system of the ship have to have limited access • Critical network information has to be protected using layers of firewalls and routers • All computers on the ship should be equipped with antivirus and malware software • All radio and satellite communications should be protected • Protocols for destroying sensitive data should be followed before discarding old equipment from the ship • All personnel on the ship, both onboard and ashore, should be trained and be aware of ways to handle cyber attacks • Install systems that can identify malware and immediately take action • Backup and data recovery systems should be installed to restore important compromised information • All the software systems and equipment should be updated on a regular basis • The access to user profiles should be limited to only the senior administrators Cyber security should be developed on the ships. It is a task that requires utmost priority. Such an important job should be delegated to experts in cyber security to ensure that such unfortunate situations can be avoided. Rather than letting robots and automated systems handle such crucial jobs, professional personnel should be hired at large. Technical systems might be fast and handy, but nothing can substitute the decision-making ability of humans. It is time that cyber threat for ships is truly taken into consideration. It is time to finally fight back hackers who not only cause monetary damages but also render big industries defenseless. With proper and right methods, cyber threats on ships can be reduced. It is important to start early, start now! ➤ https://medium.com/@norshipsale123/how-to-protect-the-ship-from- Read the Blog cyber-threats-67e3eedf3890 Norwegian Ship Sale As Raadmann Halmrasts VEI 18 ,1337 Sandvika, Akershus, Norway +47 6754 1925 o.jebsen@norshipsale.no www.norshipsale.com