Maritime is not immune to the radical ability of modern digital communications and computing to be disruptive. To gain the advantages of modern technology those in maritime must also become aware and develop strategies to handle the inevitable security issues that modern computing systems bring.
That’s according to a 36-page report , The future of maritime cyber security, from Lancaster University. According to its authors, it presents a first step on the road to this understanding by presenting the findings from a joint workshop run by Security Lancaster and the Developments, Concepts and Doctrine Centre with participants from government and commerce. They point to three key elements of the cyber maritime domain: Information, People and Technology.
The report identifies how the use of technology is extending the scope for maritime security beyond traditional littoral boundaries and the influences shaping cyber-maritime.
Comment
Ross Brewer, vice president and managing director for international markets at LogRhythm, has commented: “All cyber attacks have their consequences and how far reaching the effects are, clearly varies from case to case. One thing I think we can all agree on though, is the havoc that would be wrought should the Navy come under attack. While our armed forces are well acquainted with defending against the enemy, in the cyber world it can be far more challenging to determine exactly who that enemy is, and what they are doing.
“We live in an age where the use of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) is on the rise, which, by nature, are often left unidentified for years. The researchers from Lancaster are quite right to point out that the armed forces’ aircraft and warships are built to last, while the software is not. However, all software is effectively under threat as soon as it is deployed, and understanding that is key for every organisation – armed forces or otherwise. The solution is not necessarily to constantly deploy new software to combat the risk – that just leads to a tedious game of cat and mouse. Instead, it is imperative to constantly monitor the network for unusual activity in order to identify suspicious behaviour as quickly as possible. The Navy is no stranger to intelligence – the more information you have, the better position you are in to defend yourself – and it is no different when it comes to cyber security. For all of us, it is a case of when, not if, an attack takes place, but with the right security intelligence measures in place, the risk can be minimised.”
