Workboat | Standing Guard: Helping mariners fend off escalating cyberattacks

June 2021

Workboat's correspondent Jim Redden covers the current cyber risk landscape for the marine and maritime industry. Interviewing Mission Secure's Weston Hecker and Don Ward for their frontline insights, Redden discusses the current threats and vulnerabilities and what operators can do to bolster their cyber security posture.

With increased cyber-attacks and lagging operational technology (OT) security, maritime operations are left vulnerable to cyber adversaries. The numerous attack vectors can span from wireless keyboards and mice to the company's phone network.

"Without guardrails in place, experts say the flat operational technology (OT) systems that control the physical operation of a vessel, in combination with new generation monitoring sensors and multiple third-party vendors, offer clear pathways for cyber outlaws to inject potentially catastrophic viruses that can disrupt everything from navigation to the manipulation of critical valves."

— Jim Redden, Workboat

Read the original article | Standing Guard: Helping mariners fend off escalating cyber attacks.