Port Cyber Security in the UK

3840435763?profile=RESIZE_710xIn a recent tour of the Port of Plymouth and various other southern UK ports, The UK Maritime Minister reviewed the groundbreaking work in progress to "future-proof" the maritime industry.  This includes discovering how plans were developing for autonomous ships to sail independently across the Atlantic, in conjunction with the Mayflower’s 400th anniversary.

Starting in the Port of Plymouth on 28 January 2020, the minister met with MSubs, the company leading on plans for an autonomous Atlantic crossing to mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage to America.  Such cutting-edge innovations could revolutionize the shipping industry by increasing safety, efficiency and delivering environmental benefits.  During the review, the minister was also able to meet with a range of industry actors in autonomous shipping to discuss the high tech work being accomplished in the South West region of Britain.  Also visiting was the Thales Maritime Autonomy Center where companies can develop and test state of the art technologies in shipping, including developing unmanned ships with the potential to carry out tasks that would be dangerous for people, such as mine detection.

Points reviewed were:

  • The UK shipping sector is among the most advanced in the world, and all the work I’ve been seeing this week is confirming that. From the potential for cross-global autonomous shipping to mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage, to safer forms of mine detection, the industry is developing innovations to propel British shipping ahead of its rivals well into the 21st century.
  • The UK is committed to ensure the government continues to benefit from our world-leading maritime sector. That is why the UK has released refreshed cyber security guidance for ports, to make sure that our ports are not just some of the best in the world, but also some of the safest.

In Southampton UK the minister visited the joint DfT / MCA MARLab, which is currently developing ways to better regulate ‘smart’ and autonomous shipping, so these state-of-the-art developments can be utilized by UK shipping.  The work at the MARLab will form the foundation for the future regulation and legislation of this fast-moving industry.

The UK’s Department for Transport is releasing updated cyber security guidance to ensure that UK ports remain among the safest in the world.  Ports and the wider maritime industry will have access to new and improved physical and cyber guidance, helping the UK’s vital transport hubs to remain secure from 21st century styles of attack.  The transportation guidance helps ports develop cyber security assessments, allowing them to effectively identify gaps in their security, while also providing advice on managing cyber security attacks, and clarifies points raised by the industry from previous iterations.[1]

Red Sky Alliance has for years been tracking cyber security issues within the maritime industry.  From finding breaches in the Danish Pilots Association to the current weekly Vessel Impersonation reports, we theorize that with the rise in cyber dependency in the shipping industry, cyber attacks will only exponentially increase.   

Red Sky Alliance/Wapack Labs Corporation can help your shipping firm or port facility protect against cyber threats.  Red Sky Alliance is now offering Cyber Insurance coverage through Chubb Insurance to help protect your organization and help with recovery expenses.  Please feel free to contact us at sales@wapacklabs.com or one of our authorized RedXray sales distributors.

Red Sky Alliance is in New Boston, NH USA and is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization.  For questions, comments or assistance, please contact the office directly at 888-RED-XRAY or (888)-733-9729, or email feedback@wapacklabs.com   

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[1] UK Government

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