With 4 months remaining to 1 January 2021 and IMO 2021, many operators are still unsure of their next steps for managing cyber risk onboard their vessels and gaining assurance on compliance with the looming regulation. 

Having launched its first product in 2019, CyberOwl now works with shipping fleets across Europe and APAC to help them gain visibility of their onboard systems, actively manage the cyber risks and gain assurance on compliance. Despite the disruptions of COVID-19, the company continues to see a drive in demand for their products and services as fleet owners and managers come alive to the severity of the risks.

This drive in demand is, in part, a result of year-on-year increase in digital acceleration in an industry that is often spoilt for choice in adopting complex technological innovations with little visibility as to how they impact a vessel’s cyber risk. The latest move to acquire CyberOwl’s services demonstrates Metrostar Management Corporation’s approach to managing its cyber risk and remaining compliant with IMO 2021 requirements.

“Metrostar joins the growing number of maritime companies that place trust in CyberOwl to help them actively manage the cyber risks to their vessel systems. Working with Metrostar, it is clear that they are on a mission to be at the cutting edge of cybersecure digitalisation, becoming the leading light for the rest of the shipping sector,” said Daniel Ng, CEO of CyberOwl.

Matthew Maheras, IT manager of Metrostar Management Corporation, commented: “CyberOwl's Medulla has been able to provide us visibility of cyber risks in a way that we previously struggled with. Within days of installation, their systems detected risks to our onboard systems which we were able to deal with immediately to avoid any disruptions and losses. Medulla also produces practical, incident documentation and meaningful reports that really facilitate communication of cyber risks with senior management and provide me compliance assurance during inspection processes. The team are professional, experienced and a real pleasure to work with.”