Effective maritime cybersecurity regulation – the case for a cyber code

Abstract

Ships and ports are increasingly connected to each other through cyberspace. This connectivity streamlines many aspects of maritime business, but also exposes maritime operators and administrations to new types of risk including hacking and outage. The maritime industry has been slow to realize the implications of this new environment within which it operates, and now lags behind other industries (like aviation) when it comes to cyber risk mitigation and regulation. We argue that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), alongside its members, urgently needs to create robust and resilient cybersecurity regulations. We suggest that the IMO should consider creating a standalone Cyber Code, based on a framework created by previous IMO Codes such as the Polar Code. Since the IMO uses Codes as a legally binding instrument, this would help to ensure the continued safety and efficiency of the maritime industry in the face of threats from cyberspace.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Green Shipping: Navigating towards Sustainable Maritime Practices

“…Due to the growing popularity of autonomous shipping, efforts are being made to build worldwide standards and laws that will ensure the safe and environmentally responsible use of AI-driven autonomous boats. These standards and rules are being developed in response to the growing demand for autonomous shipping [101], [102]. The geographic distribution of mean green marine transport efficiency per nation is depicted in Fig.…”

Preventing Catastrophic Cyber–Physical Attacks on the Global Maritime Transportation System: A Case Study of Hybrid Maritime Security in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore

“…De Faria recommends "a robust and well-defined "code" that broadens and concretises a "new" concept of maritime safety in the broad sense" [9]. Hopcraft and Martin argue the case for "a standalone Cyber Code" under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) noting "it is often a specific newsworthy event, or disaster, which acts as a catalyst for discussion and change within the IMO" citing the Titanic disaster of 1912 and the Deepwater Horizon explosion of 2010 as two notable examples leading to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and "the instigation of numerous amendments to IMO regulations relating to oil spills" [10].…”

“…It should be noted that the idea of "a standalone Cyber Code" has been raised "based on a framework created by previous IMO Codes such as the Polar Code. Since the IMO uses Codes as a legally binding instrument, this would help to ensure the continued safety and efficiency of the maritime industry in the face of threats from cyberspace" [10]. As the IMO works on the consensus of member states this would be a highly ambitious project-and would take years to complete-but ultimately could be an effective way of combining all cyber regulations and requirements into one instrument.…”

Literature review on maritime cybersecurity: state-of-the-art

“…Regarding the shipping industry regulation, the maritime safety committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) released Resolution MSC-FAL.1 and MSC.428 (98) in June 2017, implemented in January 2021, to introduce measures to tackle cyber-risks in maritime safety supervision and management systems, and cyber-code has potential as a binding instrument to assure the security and improve the efficiency of the maritime industry in confronting cyber-attacks (Hopcraft and Martin, 2018). The new legislation will likely be ongoing to make sure that only vessels with the cybersecurity certificate issued by authorising institutions are allowed to operate and sail on marine.…”