Focus on cybersecurity in global maritime sector at Dubai conference

Part of the UAE Maritime Week, the conference will highlight the nature of known cyber threats, their serious impact on the maritime community, the risk factors involved and effective measures to combat the evolving cybercrimes.

Stakeholders and senior executives from all over the world have identified cybersecurity as a topic of global importance especially after the International Maritime Bureau’s warning that shipping is becoming the ‘next playground for hackers.’ There are now mounting calls for companies to prioritise their cybersecurity measures as a result of this valid concern.

Emma Howell, global head of marketing at Seatrade Portfolio, said, “It is highly encouraging that stakeholders are now coming together to discuss the subject of cyber security in the maritime industry. The industry has already implemented contingency plans, learning from serious incidents of cyber attacks involving prominent shipping firms.”

“We are putting the spotlight on the importance of proactively building an ever-evolving cyber security system that can effectively fight off cyber threats. Seatrade Maritime Middle East 2018 is a timely platform to exchange experiences and propose more efficient and modern solutions that will help shield the industry from future costly network intrusions,” Howell added.

China’s Cosco Shipping Lines and Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk were two of the shipping giants recently hit by cyber attacks, prompting the leading firms and the entire industry to beef up their cybersecurity systems. Therefore, it has become an urgent need as next-generation technologies are steadily being integrated into the maritime sector, with the prospect of autonomous shipping now becoming a possibility and millions of maritime operations data being churned out weekly.

The conference will host a session on 30 October during the second UAE Maritime Future Leaders Seminar, organised by the Dubai Maritime Cluster Office. The session, entitled “Security from cyber-attack: how safe are we?”

Part of the UAE Maritime Future Leaders Seminar, this dedicated session is part of a one-day programme that expands its focus to the intelligent shipping and the tangible benefits and efficiencies offered by intelligent shipping technologies and includes individual presentations by industry expert speakers, followed by interactive roundtables with the audience.

Jason Stefanatos, senior research engineer and maritime R&D and advisory at DNV GL-Maritime, commented, “We need to step up our game to protect the industry from these network breaches--a challenge that requires all maritime stakeholders to work together and improve the conditions. Owners, flag administration and class societies should help contribute in the campaign towards achieving a cyber-safer sea trade.”