Cyber-attacks on the maritime industry’s operational technology (OT) systems have increased by 900 per cent over the last three years with the number of reported incidents set to reach record volumes by year end.

North Sea operator Atlantic Offshore has adopted Fleet Secure Endpoint from Inmarsat to protect against ongoing cyber threats.

The Coronavirus pandemic is leaving the maritime and offshore energy sectors vulnerable to cyber-attack, with Naval Dome citing a massive 400 per cent increase in attempted hacks since February 2020.

From left to right: David Baker, Mercia, with Daniel Ng and Ken Woghiren, CyberOwl.

Cybersecurity start-up CyberOwl has secured £1.8 million in funding to help develop its cybersecurity solution for the shipping and maritime industries.

Late last year, Cybeta, a US-headquartered cybersecurity firm, entered into the maritime market with its new cyber protection solution, CyberHelm. Following the success of its original Cybeta solution built by US intelligence-trained experts, the company made the decision to roll out its solution to maritime to help protect vulnerable maritime assets.

CyberOwl, a UK-based start-up specialising in protecting industrial systems from cyber-attacks, has been selected as a founding member of the Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) accelerator powered by Techstars, a global innovation programme run directly by a shipping fleet operator.

To facilitate shipowner demand for an immediate cybersecurity solution for critical systems, Naval Dome has introduced a new software-based cyber protection that can be easily installed on all ship, port, or offshore OT systems, including navigational equipment, machinery control systems and cargo handling equipment.

GTMaritime has announced that it has seen significant growth in the use of its secure, maritime optimised email software and other cybersecurity solutions as shipowners and operators step up a gear to harden onboard networks and protect their ships from digital threats.

As the global shipping industry learns that the UK-flagged Stena Impero seized by Iranian forces in July was 'spoofed' and begins to accept the extent to which vessels unprepared for a cyber event can be affected, Itai Sela, CEO of cybersecurity pioneer Naval Dome, says that original equipment manufacturers are not doing enough to provide end users with the level of protection required to secure critical systems.

Norway-based Dualog has launched a new service that aims to protect vessels and their onboard IT systems before a cyber-attack occurs, by ensuring that malware and unwanted data traffic is blocked at the DNS-level.