From: Marine & Offshore Technology
Steven Jones, maritime director, Security Association for the Maritime Industry, spoke with Marine Offshore Technology on vessel and port cyber threats
The Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) is widening its remit with regards to the threats and risks facing ports, ships and the services provided by its member companies. As part of this process cyber-attacks and threats are being treated very seriously.
Given the nature of the threat, the true extent of the shipping sector’s cyber vulnerabilities remain uncertain. However, some experts fear terrorists could use high-powered jammers to disrupt the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) reception, and there are risks that terrorists could introduce a virus into the coding of vessel systems.
The implications of a cyber-attack are great and growing, along with a concern over the impact of jamming the GNSS. David Last, an emeritus professor of Bangor University in the UK and an authority on criminal use of GPS jammers has commented on our reliance on GPS, stating that they are “so embedded” in the transportation, manufacturing industries and economies of our societies that “the risk is high”.
Criminals, pirates and terrorists may soon catch on
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