North P&I Club: Be Cyber Aware at Sea

 

According to North’s deputy loss prevention director Colin Gillespie, ‘More than 90% of world trade, including the global transportation of energy, is by sea. Our reliance on technology continues and we are now very much immersed in the digital era. Ships are becoming increasingly sophisticated and the cyber threat at sea poses significant security, safety and financial risks to shipping and offshore operations.’

 

The Be Cyber Aware At Sea campaign was launched by leading cyber security trainer JWL International last month and is supported by a rapidly growing number of industry organisations including CSO Alliance and North. Through the campaign’s website at www.becyberawareatsea.com it encourages the sharing of research data, best-practice cyber guidelines and educational articles to help all stakeholders understand the challenges and threats the digital era brings to shipping and offshore operations. This includes a series of campaign posters, which North has also made available for free download from its website and is distributing hard copies to members with its Signals loss prevention newsletter.  

 

Gillespie says, ‘Shipowners and crews are faced with many operational demands and dealing effectively with cyber risks is yet another challenge. Raising awareness of the risks is the first step in reducing the threat to shipping companies’ commercial networks. Shipowners should now treat cyber security as a board-level priority to minimise this emerging threat to the business of shipping.’

 

North’s support of the Be Cyber Aware At Sea campaign builds on its Cyber Risks in Shipping loss prevention briefing published in June 2016. This outlines the increasing sophistication of cyber criminals and raises awareness of the proactive mitigation measures that shipowners should now consider introducing.