Cyber security is amongst shipping’s top priorities in need for an urgent solution, as digitalization and development hide multiple dangers for the maritime industry. Marlink’s President Maritime, Tore Morten Olsen, in an interview with the SAFETY4SEA team during Oslo’s Nor-Shipping, addresses that the maritime sector should firstly focus on seafarers’ education to reduce the human risk and then look for innovative ways to be protected from cyber risks.
Mr Morten Olsen highlights that considering the rapid technological developments in the maritime industry, stakeholders and those interested should have an open philosophy that will enable them to take advantage of the new satellite systems emerging.
Satellite communication is like magic for people, because it is something that is in the sky.
For the time being, a challenge for Marlink is to make sure that the industry is based on versatile laws that will allow the interested parties to upgrade their capabilities into the future.
He continues that cyber security is more relevant than ever, keeping in mind that USCG in a current report addressed that the cyber and hacking community is starting to target maritime players.
Concerning cyber security, Mr Olsen addresses that
The most important thing is to educate people to reduce the human risk and then use technology to try to secure the network and the communication in the best possible way.
Yet, shipowners have two aspects to think on cyber risks
- Insurance companies make reservations on paying out for claims that are caused by cyber because they may have been negligent in the treatment of it.
- Concerning tanker operators, oil majors are starting to demand that people are adhering to the IMO 2021 already.
This is going to spill over to the merchant market and we really need to make sure that we help the shipowners manage this risk.
In general, Marlink focuses its business in the maritime segment, both on connectivity but more on IT solutions and cyber matters, as cyber-attacks and therefore cyber security are on the spotlight today.
[IMO 2021: The Maritime Safety Committee, at its 98th session in June 2017, also adopted Resolution MSC.428(98) – Maritime Cyber Risk Management in Safety Management Systems. The resolution encourages administrations to ensure that cyber risks are appropriately addressed in existing safety management systems (as defined in the ISM Code) no later than the first annual verification of the company’s Document of Compliance after 1 January 2021.]
