Driving Cyber Readiness: How Can We Improve the Maritime Sector’s Cyber Readiness?
Key Focus Area:
Smart Maritime Services and Supply Chain
As Singapore’s maritime sector digitises, and with the 2030 electrification target, the likelihood of cyber-attacks increases. Attacks are becoming more sophisticated and undetectable, targeting both insecure systems and human behaviour.
With increasing digitalisation, cyber-attacks may spread rapidly and indiscriminately, with severe implications to maritime operations as infamous cases of such attacks have already demonstrated.
Rising Cyber Risks:
– With digitalisation, including the emergence of Operational Technology (OT) with Information Technology (IT), there are new vulnerabilities
– Cyber pirates are targeting ship controls, and malware can spread across the supply chain as well
– Cyber hygiene practices among maritime personnel could be improved as some might be vulnerable to social engineering tactics used by cyber attackers (e.g.: phishing)
Desired Outcome
Solutions may encourage adoption of cyber security solutions, automate compliance assessments in line with upcoming mandatory cybersecurity standards, preservation of system after a cyber attack, and improve cyber hygiene practices through a gamified digital training platform.
Potential Solution Spaces:
– An ecosystem-wide mandatory cyber assessment that improves seafarers’ cyber hygiene and operational readiness
– Automated compliance to the upcoming IEC 62443 requirement that will be mandatory for classed ships and offshore installations contracted for construction from 1 January 2024
– Gamified training simulations for crew that can account for and evolve according to crew’s responses in real time
– A customer focused app or service that detects on a live basis the latest cyber vulnerabilities or attacks, gives guidance on specific cyber response, and automates compliance reporting to HQ
Successful solutions should be able to:
– Utilize on-board systems and consolidate information from other cyber databases with known vulnerabilities for detection of maritime-specific threats
– Support crew with timely alerts and clear steps to deal with threats
– Be accessible (e.g., understandable, easy to implement)
Call for Proposals for this Innovation Opportunity is now closed.
