Be Cyber Aware at Sea Campaign issued a short film, looking at the subject of cyber security in the maritime industry and giving simple, clear non-technical advice for seafarers and shore-based colleagues on avoiding the most common cyber threats.
Many people still fail to spot the signs of simple phishing emails and accidentally give away personal and company information to hackers via email or social media postings. Even something as simple as charging a smartphone to the USB socket on the ECDIS terminal could allow hackers to gain access to a vessels IT network, potentially affecting the vessel’s ability to safely navigate.
Shippers and crewmen are advised to:
- safeguard the personal and the company information, as if they were their cash or passport and never hand it over, unless they are completely sure to whom they are giving it to
- be wise with the social media posts
- update regularly their passwords and keep different passwords for each site
- never take part in something online that they would not want to show in the real world
- avoid tempting links and downloads
99 per cent of the cyber attacks occur because we fail to do the basics, the film informs.
Andrew Cassels, Director, OCIMF remarked: “This film starts to tackle the most vulnerable element of cyber protection, the human element. Educating our mariners is the first line of defence; they all work in social media with ease but need to understand how innocent actions can cause harm to wider networks and systems. Wide distribution of this film and the supporting material will start to prepare industry for the cyber challenges ahead.”