ABS recently announced that it has issued its first notation for the ABS Guide for Cyber security Implementation for the Marine and Offshore Industries.
“The focus on cyber safety is increasing, and that is changing the expectations industry has for classification services,” explains ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. “ABS is ahead of the curve in tackling this fast moving challenge, creating actionable guidance and helping clients protect themselves against cyber threats.”
The ABS CyberSafety® program is aimed at mitigating the risk of cyber security-related conditions or incidents that could negatively affect operations. Awarding the CS1 notation (Asset, Basic-level, Informed Cyber security Implementation) is a significant industry first and underscores ABS’ leadership in addressing cyber security.
The ABS team worked closely with the client, reviewing and assessing cyber security documentation and the cyber security system to more effectively protect industrial control systems from a cyber security-related incident or failure on their offshore assets.
“Awarding the first industry notation for cyber security is a significant achievement,” says ABS Chief Technology Officer Howard Fireman. “ABS continues to set the standards for maritime cyber safety. Our team understands the criticality of cyber security to the offshore industry and is developing solutions address concerns across the broad maritime industry.”
This Guide for ABS CyberSafety™ has been developed so as to reduce cybersecurity-related conditions or incidents that may negatively affect systems, ships, offshore assets, safety, or the performance of cyberenabled systems. ABS further recognizes the positive impact that sound cybersecurity management practices have in reducing losses to the maritime industry due to unauthorized access into control systems from criminal or unintended activity.
The Guide in question provides a model for implementing cybersecurity programs, presenting criteria for compliance with ABS CyberSafety™ requirements. These requirements will be used by ABS in the cybersecurity reviews and surveys of information technology (IT) systems; operational technology (OT) control systems; and their system interfaces and software on ships, offshore assets and the management systems of the associated shoreside facilities.
Moreover, the Guide emphasizes implementation and verification of organizational processes and business rules (i.e., controls) through review and audit methods, and technical verification of system protective mechanisms and technical controls through system testing.
Further details maybe found in the following notation:
Source: ABS
