CYBERATTACK PROFESSIONALS: WATERSHED ATTACK ON THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY?

The U.S economy might be exposed to cyber threats reprised by the Russian government. It has been noted by Security Agency Director Jen Easterly that “protecting the industry from cyber threats is really becoming increasingly complex,” as maritime organizations’ control systems are a huge target on cyber attacks. This comes predominantly important after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and potentially targeting the U.S. next. 

Back in 2017 a malicious cyber attack in Ukraine got into U.S. companies’ systems, including the world’s largest shipping line: Maersk. This led to port congestion and around a $300 million financial loss for the company. However, currently, shipping companies pay an average of around $3 million for cyber attack ransoms coming from increasing adoption of digital solutions for the coordination of shipping. This also comes in hand from the growth of autonomous ships and data collaboration systems. 

Companies in the industry are on alert warnings towards increasing their cyber security. Deputy national security advisor Anne Neuberger even described these potential threats as a “call to action,” as published on The Washington Post. U.S. analysts have already detected scanning through critical U.S. sectors by the Russian government, leading to speculation of possible threats, yet no official threat has been detected. U.S. sectors might be under the Russian scope, and it is extremely crucial for U.S. companies to impose the highest security on their systems. Inevitably, it is in the hands of the shipping industry and other sectors to stay alert on their cyber security, protecting their data from possible attacks.

The U.S. Congress even passed a bill to impose a minimum infrastructure standard for cybersecurity, but, it is in the hands of the private sector to impose the highest levels of security, preventing threats to reach their systems.