Respond to discussion with 250 words: The focus of maritime security post September 11th was to improve the physical infrastructure of port facilities and vessels by implementing security plans, identification systems, detection methods, and strict inspection and clearance procedures for cargo and personnel. There are numerous legislative pieces which have created a layered security approach to protecting the marine industry (CSI, C-TPAT, foreign port assessment, etc.). According to the U.S. Department of State, this layered approach “aligns all Federal government maritime security programs and initiatives into a comprehensive and cohesive national effort involving appropriate Federal, State, local, and private sector entities” (2005, p. ii). While there have been improvements in maritime security to protect against physical attacks, little has been done in terms of cyberattacks.   When enacted, the Maritime Transportation Security Act and Safe Accountability For Every Port Act did not include elements of cybersecurity, and there is still no such legislation in place today. The United States Coast Guard has not conducted a thorough assessment on cyber risks, and until properly done, “maritime stakeholders will be less able to appropriately plan and allocate resources to protect the maritime transportation mode” (USGAO, 2014, p. 17). Ports are concerned with operations, vessel movement, and cargo flow. Cyber threats are not a priority and are not considered a large enough to warrant action. According to Kramek, “not only is cybersecurity awareness in U.S. port facilities generally low, but the cybersecurity culture in U.S. port facilities is generally lacking” (2013, p. 27). This is extremely concerning, because ports across the nation use technology to manage all aspects of their operations. A cyber-attack would devastate port and economic activity, especially if it targeted the Global Positioning System (GPS). The Global Positioning System is a satellite based navigation system which can accurately determine an object’s position on the earth. GPS was developed by the United States military in the 1970’s, and became available for public use some time after.  It’s an extremely valuable system and has transformed the transportation and logistics industry. In terms of marine applications, it “is playing an increasingly important role in the management of maritime port facilities” (NCO, 2006, para. 6). Port and marine operators heavily rely on GPS to monitor cargo and ships deployed around the world, which would have a significant impact on the day to day operations if hacked. A cyber event on GPS within a port system could disrupt operations, sending a ripple effect, much like a tsunami, throughout supply chains. Kugler explains the ease in which GPS can be “spoofed”, and “cargo shipments are at risk, especially dangerous or high-value ones that are required to follow designated GPS routes” (2017, p. 19). Hijacking GPS receivers would allow ...

1. Respond to discussion with 250 words:
The focus of maritime security post September 11th was to
improve the physical infrastructure of port facilities and vessels
by implementing security plans, identification systems,
detection methods, and strict inspection and clearance
procedures for cargo and personnel. There are numerous
legislative pieces which have created a layered security
approach to protecting the marine industry (CSI, C-TPAT,
foreign port assessment, etc.). According to the U.S.
Department of State, this layered approach “aligns all Federal
government maritime security programs and initiatives into a
comprehensive and cohesive national effort involving
appropriate Federal, State, local, and private sector entities”
(2005, p. ii). While there have been improvements in maritime
security to protect against physical attacks, little has been done
in terms of cyberattacks.
When enacted, the Maritime Transportation Security Act and
Safe Accountability For Every Port Act did not include
elements of cybersecurity, and there is still no such legislation
in place today. The United States Coast Guard has not
conducted a thorough assessment on cyber risks, and until
properly done, “maritime stakeholders will be less able to
appropriately plan and allocate resources to protect the
maritime transportation mode” (USGAO, 2014, p. 17). Ports are
concerned with operations, vessel movement, and cargo flow.
Cyber threats are not a priority and are not considered a large
enough to warrant action. According to Kramek, “not only is
cybersecurity awareness in U.S. port facilities generally low,
but the cybersecurity culture in U.S. port facilities is generally
lacking” (2013, p. 27). This is extremely concerning, because
ports across the nation use technology to manage all aspects of
their operations. A cyber-attack would devastate port and

2. economic activity, especially if it targeted the Global
Positioning System (GPS).
The Global Positioning System is a satellite based navigation
system which can accurately determine an object’s position on
the earth. GPS was developed by the United States military in
the 1970’s, and became available for public use some time after.
It’s an extremely valuable system and has transformed the
transportation and logistics industry. In terms of marine
applications, it “is playing an increasingly important role in the
management of maritime port facilities” (NCO, 2006, para. 6).
Port and marine operators heavily rely on GPS to monitor cargo
and ships deployed around the world, which would have a
significant impact on the day to day operations if hacked.
A cyber event on GPS within a port system could disrupt
operations, sending a ripple effect, much like a tsunami,
throughout supply chains. Kugler explains the ease in which
GPS can be “spoofed”, and “cargo shipments are at risk,
especially dangerous or high-value ones that are required to
follow designated GPS routes” (2017, p. 19). Hijacking GPS
receivers would allow attackers to dictate where and when a
container is moved. It could be offloaded from a ship in the
wrong port, sent on a train, truck, or warehouse facility.
Suppliers would lose track of their shipments and suffer
enormous financial loses. Port authorities would have no choice
but to shut down operations until the GPS signal could be
restored. A shutdown would cause shipping companies to divert
their ships to other ports, leading to delays and lost revenue.
Ships alongside the berth at the affected port would have no
choice but to wait idly, until cargo operations resumed.
Financial loses could reach billions, as proven by the port
closures on the West Coast due to a union disputes and contract
negotiations a few years ago.