New Security Challenges Arise in Age of Digitalization

摘要

In July 2004, the International Ship and Port Facility Code (ISPS) was implemented following the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Immediately stated in the foreword is the objective to "detect/assess security threats and take preventative measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities." The emphasis throughout the ISPS Code is physical security; ultimately, keep the bad players out. The instances where computer systems and networks are mentioned in the code is to consider them a system that needed physical protection. Nearly 17 years later, the code is still relevant regarding physical security, however, in the age of digitalization, the maritime industry's growing awareness of cybersecurity is bringing new security challenges to the forefront.Today, the maritime industry is learning the importance of the connection between cybersecurity and vessel operators. Actual and de facto regulatory entities, such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), flag states, port state control, insurance companies, and classification societies have distributed varying levels of guidelines regarding cybersecurity but there is no industry standard.In 2017, IMO released its Guidelines to Maritime Cyber Risk management, providing recommendations and best practices for industry, however these are not mandatory provisions.