"What Do You Do if a Hacker Takes over Your Ship?"

A joint team recently conducted a new cybersecurity course at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Ålesund. NTNU's program for the maritime industry has offered a new course called "Maritime digital security." Participants explored existing digital threats and conducted an experimental cyberattack on a ship. The primary focus is on cyber risk management and building resilience. Where Information Technology (IT) and people intersect, digital vulnerability exists. According to Marie Haugli-Sandvik and Erlend Erstad, Ph.D. candidates in the Department of Ocean Operations and Civil Engineering at NTNU, security breaches can occur through the ship's systems, the port system, and the people who run or supervise these systems. They are examining how the maritime industry could be better prepared for cyberattacks. The maritime digital security course devised and led by the two Ph.D. candidates appears to be the first of its kind in Norway. Haugli-Sandvik surveyed 293 deck officers from 11 major Norwegian offshore shipowners. Eighty-three percent of respondents reported getting some cybersecurity training, while 15 percent said they had never received training. Two percent were unaware of their training status. Sixty-six percent of the surveyed deck officers were unsure or disagreed that they had sufficient training to handle a cyber incident on board. Such incidents can impact ship operations, as they could disrupt administrative systems for passenger lists, sailing licenses, and more. This article continues to discuss the development, purpose, and contributions of the NTNU course on maritime digital security. 

SCIENMAG reports "What Do You Do if a Hacker Takes over Your Ship?"