Maritime facilities at great risk for cyber attack due to increased technology use and lack of security leaving United States infrastructure vulnerable

Cybersecurity in the maritime industry has become a national concern, as cyber attacks can cripple critical infrastructure, halt international trade, cost the United States billions, and have even more potentially dangerous effects.  Threats include terrorism, piracy, smuggling, and transnational crime.

The United States has 360 river and sea ports, and these borders result in the need for guaranteed security.  Harbors located at possible water gateways into the United States are crucial for ensuring that only designated cargo and persons can enter or leave; a cyber attack on these ports endangers public safety.

In regards to trade, the United States spends $1.3 trillion in annual cargo (imports and exports).  Ninety-five percent of the goods shipped to or from the United States is by sea; therefore, if trade was interrupted by a hacker, America would lose a significant amount of money and could be lacking certain products.

A cyber attack on the Belgium Port of Antwerp occurred and lasted roughly two years as hackers hired by drug traffickers infiltrated into the IT dealing with cargo containers.  Having hid drugs in these containers, the traffickers were able to monitor the movement and security of this cargo until they were able to steal them.

Although this did not occur in the United States, this event illustrates the large potential for cyber attacks and the lack of defense available.

Maritime activities and procedures have become increasingly electronic due to technological advances like digital charting resulting in greater opportunities for hacking

Cyber threats are diverse, and could affect both safety and security because majority of systems are computer dependent.  Technology now controls areas from navigation and communication to environment control and emergency systems.  Since this industry has become centered around information systems, any disruption of the data could range from an interruption in trade to injuries and deaths.

Todd Humphreys, a professor at the University of Texas and an expert in GPS, displayed how susceptible this industry is to hacking.  Using a $3000 machine made from just an antenna and GPS spoofer as well as a laptop, he was able to hack into the navigation system of super-yacht in the Mediterranean Sea.

An example of cyber attacks that occurred due to the hacking of these systems is the piracy that occurs off the coast of Somalia.  Pirate ships choose their targets by monitoring the online navigational data of the ships; once targeted, the location is either removed or altered.

Keeping data and information secure in the maritime industry is difficult since it is an international market.  Large shipping lines, for instance, have offices in over 100 countries; roughly half of these offices they do not own.  Therefore, offices have their own IT infrastructure and data sharing occurs.

Shipping lines also do not own and cannot control the technology of all the vessels they operate.  Since they are not operating some of the vessels, there is a window for a third party to take control.

Cyber attacks have detrimental effects due to the high costs and long recovery times needed

When maritime procedures are disrupted due to cyber attacks, the parties involved lose a significant amount of money and time.  When only one port is attacked, the estimated losses are one billion dollars for every day the port is compromised.  Since attacks generally have an aftermath that can affect the company for multiple days, these companies are facing multi-billion dollar losses.

A study done by the National Association of Manufactures and the National Federation of Retailers showed the monetary impact of the West coast ports being shut down.

The study found that if the ports were shut down for five days, each day's cost would be roughly two billion dollars; if the duration was longer, the cost per day increased.  The study also depicted how other factors like imports, exports, and economic output was effected.

Hacking on multiple oil rigs depicts the lengthy (and costly) recovery period that comes after a cyber attack.  A floating oil rig off the coast of Africa was tipped sideways while another rig was infected with malware by a hacker.  It took 19 days to get rid of the malware resulting in high productivity and  monetary losses.

Maritime industry working to increase both cybersecurity and awareness to decrease threats and enable sailors to combat attacks

Taking action against cyber attacks has been a more recent change.  Few maritime infrastructures have reacted to the increasing likelihood for cyber attacks as few ports have conducted assessments and even less have developed responses.

Cyberkeel did an investigation to determine vulnerabilities in the hardware of the largest 50 container shipping lines; thirty-seven of the fifty were susceptible to hacking.

The US Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) worked with the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) to develop a computer based training. This step is a first for the United States in terms of giving vessel owners and operators knowledge to reduce and combat attacks.  In addition, marine simulations have been created to allow a mariner to practice responding to a cyber attack.

The Coast Guard has teamed up with many organizations including American Association of Port Authorities to evaluate cyber vulnerabilities.  Their ultimate goal is to incorporate cyber risk management into the already existing procedures for safety and security.