It’s 2021 and technology is necessary to run any and every business. It’s incredible to think about the wide array of industries there are and the different technology required to operate each of them. Regardless of industry, the need for cybersecurity is a constant. The shipping industry is one that relies heavily on technology. There are so many different moving parts within this industry that must be accounted for. Not only do the vessels used to move materials need to function, but the tools used by the shippers need to function.

1. C YBER SEC U R IT
Y AN D TH E
SH IPPIN G
IN D U STRY

2. SHIPPING
IN 2021
It’s 2021 and technology is necessary to run any
and every business. It’s incredible to think about
the wide array of industries there are and the
different technology required to operate each of
them. Regardless of industry, the need for
cybersecurity is a constant.
The shipping industry is one that relies heavily
on technology. There are so many different
moving parts within this industry that must be
accounted for. Not only do the vessels used to
move materials need to function, but the tools
used by the shippers need to function.

3. Shipping is also a relatively heavily
regulated industry that has
requirements related to cybersecurity.
On-top of that, COVID has shifted
things into a more remote state so
that’s changed some of the
security and technology standards for
this industry as well. At the end of the
day, with the amount of materials and
personal information involved within
shipping, the right managed security
solutions are absolutely necessary.

4. MARITIME CYBER RISK
MANAGEMENT
No matter the industry, when
running a business, it’s important to
consider the potential impact of a
cyberattack. Shipping is a vast
industry. Clients and employees
alike come in all different shapes
and sizes but most people in their
lifetime can say they’ve shipped
something. Additionally, not only
does sensitive information of the
client need to be taken into account,
but your own needs to be as well.

5. MARITIME CYBER RISK MANAGEMENT
This is why the International Maritime Organization has guidelines
set up solely for cybersecurity. The guidelines provide
recommendations on maritime cyber risk management to safeguard
shipping from “current and emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities
and include functional elements that support effective cyber risk
management.” The guidelines can be implemented into existing risk
management processes and go hand-in-hand with security
management practices already established by the organization.

6. MARITIME CYBER RISK
MANAGEMENT
Along with those guidelines, in 2017 the
Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) adopted
a resolution that encouraged
administrations to ensure that cyber risks
are appropriately addressed in existing
safety management systems (as defined in
the ISM Code) no later than the first annual
verification of the company’s Document of
Compliance after January 1, 2021.
Most shipping organizations were getting all
of their ducks in a row in 2020 to ensure
they would comply with IMO regulations.
Then COVID hit.

7. COVID AND
SHIPPING
Although cybersecurity was still a
priority once COVID hit, business had
to shift. Practices that were once
frequent and daily became outlawed
due to health regulations. Typically,
remote tools and software were really
only used for IT professionals within
the shipping industry. Once COVID
came, fewer people on-site meant
more people remote.

8. COVID AND
SHIPPING
It’s a beautiful thing that the world we live in
has the technology to shift industries as huge
as shipping into a remote space but it also
leads to more security vulnerabilities. For
example, The Danish pump maker DESMI
being hit by ransomware with the
organization deciding against paying any
ransom to make the compromised data
available again. To respond to the attack, the
organization shut down some of their
systems including email, affecting their
operations for a number of days.
This was just one of a number of
cyberattacks that hit the shipping industry
during COVID. Threats like these and
regulations from IMO, show the importance
of an investment in managed security.

9. MANAGED
SECURITY
The right managed security plan will protect
your business and clients from on-going
security threats. During the pandemic there
was an on-going cyberthreat involving
shipping vessels specifically. These attacks
were phishing links designed to compromise
vessels and shipping companies.
Security awareness solutions are a great way
to protect from this specific kind of attack that
targets human nature in particular. These
solutions train your team to avoid malicious
links by sending fake versions of the same
thing. That way your company can spot an
attack from a mile away.

10. MANAGED
SECURITY
You can also centralize your
security management through
continuous vulnerability
management. The right provider
will be monitoring your network at
all times to stop attacks before
they can happen.
With the on-going issue of threat
actors, identity should be one of
the first things you want to protect.
Whether it’s the identity of your
team members or your clientele,
identity and access management
solutions add an extra layer of
security to your network.

11. When it comes to cybersecurity having
multiple layers is important. If you’d
like more information on what
managed security solutions could help
protect your business, contact The
TNS Group today.