More bandwidth means higher risk

For many years, the maritime industry was effectively shielded from many cyber risks by a low bandwidth environment at sea. The availability of new services available such as LEO satellite networks provide for continuous connectivity and more complex system integration. This potentially increases vulnerabilities and external threat exposure, strengthening the need for comprehensive cyber protection.

Always-on internet connectivity of the type enabled by LEO transforms a ship from an asset with regular but limited internet access to the world of interactive, constantly updated internet and social content.

From a cyber security perspective, more connectivity onboard can also introduce new risks; with more users and applications and devices connected to the internet, there are more potential vectors for cyber-criminals to exploit. The increase in internet access over LEO satellite services comes at a time when warnings are increasing of the potential for politically and economically- motivated hackers to target the maritime sector.

Owners also need to understand that in the case of LEO satellite, the cyber security tools employed across a blended network require protection to be in place both via traditional satcom gateways and onboard ship.

To help manage this risk, Marlink provides advanced tools to manage and monitor network traffic, secure individual devices and search for known risks to prevent exploitation of the ship’s network and devices.

Case Study: authentication and access control

Both IT and OT networks regularly fail audits for under-implementation of robust authentication and access controls, which can exacerbate cyber security threats. In extreme examples, crew may even be using unauthorised equipment which is simple and cheap to buy and bring onboard.

In any event, the implications of having more devices connected to the internet presents a higher threat level and can result in unauthorized access and network breaches, impacting critical operations and data integrity.