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How to become IMO 2021 compliant and protect your ship against cybercrime
With the increase of digital traffic and high-speed Internet, hacking a maritime network is becoming increasingly more attractive to cyber criminals, with all the consequences that this entails. In the event of an infection, ships can get stuck in port for days, which can result in high costs for mooring fees.
It is only a matter of time before every shipping company that does not have their IT in order will have to deal with these events. Therefore, IMO has issued a set of guidelines, providing high-level recommendations on maritime cyber risk management to safeguard shipping from current and emerging cyber threats, vulnerabilities and included functional elements that support effective cyber risk management. If shipping companies follow the cybersecurity requirements as described in the IMO 2021, and make sure to have their assets secured, cyber breaches can easily be prevented.
The importance of complying with IMO 2021
1. Legal obligation
There is a legal obligation to comply with the cybersecurity requirements as described in the IMO 2021. In practical terms this means that you must be able to hand over documents in which is described how you meet these requirements. If you are not able to do so, you risk a fine and you may not be allowed to set sail until you handover the correct documentation.
2. Preventing unnecessary extra demurrage
As far as is known, there have not been many fines or sanctions that have been issued yet. We do see, however, that some ship owners let it come down to the wire. Resulting in being tied up in port for days when an audit is performed, resulting in high costs. It is only a matter of time before every shipowner who does not yet meet the security requirements of the IMO 2021 will have to deal with this.
3. Preventing the consequences of cybercrime
Cybercrime can cost a lot of money and cause reputational damage. The possible consequences of cybercrime differ per ship and depends on the programs you use and the information you process or send in these programs. This can be your own company data and passwords, but also sensitive data of customers, or personal data of employees. To meet the IMO cyber requirements and make sure your ship is protected against cyber threats, it is highly recommended that you open the discussion with an MSP¹ or an MSSP². These external parties can guide and assist you with handling your IT properly, and make sure your systems are in a state that they can be remotely managed and monitored. Another advantage of using an external party is that it has all the knowledge and experience, saving you the costs of building a large IT team.
OnIT VERITAS specializes in providing maritime cybersecurity and connectivity solutions, and acts as a trusted advisor on regulatory matters. The security operations centre at OnIT VERITAS offers 24/7 proactive monitoring of all security solutions to ensure that the security perimeter is not breached by any threats.
To ensure regulatory compliance for IMO 2021 and to protect vessels against cyber threats, OnIT VERITAS offers assistance to customers in safely connecting their vessels at sea. Reach out to us to learn more about our services!