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Security Officer News

12 Mar 2024

Armed Pirates Board Cargo Ship Off Somalia

© Venera / Adobe Stock

Twenty armed people have boarded a cargo ship off the coast of Somalia and have taken control of it, a maritime security firm said on Tuesday.The vessel is the latest to be targeted following a resurgence of attacks by Somali pirates in recent months although the maritime security firm, Ambrey, did not specify that it was Somali pirates who boarded the ship.Ambrey said the ship was a Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier - a type of merchant ship used to transport large amounts of cargo…

11 Jan 2024

Oil Tanker Involved in US-Iran Dispute Boarded by Armed Guards Near Oman

© Vladimir / Adobe stock

An oil tanker caught up in a dispute last year between the United States and Iran was boarded by armed individuals off the coast of Oman on Thursday and appeared to have changed course towards Iran, according to UK maritime sources.The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker St Nikolas was boarded by armed intruders as it sailed close to the Omani city of Sohar, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey, and its AIS tracking system was turned off as it headed in the direction…

15 Dec 2023

Warship Rushes in to Investigate Suspected Pirate Attack off Somalia

(Photo: EUNAVFOR)

A Spanish navy ship is sailing at full speed towards a Maltese-flagged commercial vessel that may have been hijacked by pirates off Somalia, the European Union's Somali counter piracy force said on Friday.If confirmed, it would be the first successful hijacking involving Somali pirates since 2017 when a crackdown by international navies stopped a rash of seizures in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.EUNAVFOR's joint operations centre in Spain said it received an alert on Thursday about the "alleged pirate-hijacked vessel" Ruen, which was approximately 500 nautical miles east of Socotra Isl

11 Jul 2023

Indonesia Seizes Iranian-Flagged Supertanker Suspected of Illegal Oil Transfer

Indonesia's coast guard said on Tuesday it seized an Iranian-flagged supertanker suspected of involvement in the illegal transshipment of crude oil, and vowed to toughen maritime patrols.The MT Arman 114 was carrying 272,569 metric tons of light crude oil, valued at 4.6 trillion rupiah ($304 million), when it was seized last week, the Indonesian authorities said.The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) was suspected of transferring oil to another vessel without a permit on Friday, the Southeast Asian nation's maritime security agency said.The vessel was captured after being spotted in Indonesia's North Natuna Sea, carrying out a ship-to-ship oil transfer with the Cameroon-flagged MT S Tinos, the agency's chief, Aan Kurnia, said.

19 Feb 2021

Demystifying Cyber Security

© pinkeyes/AdobeStock

Recent cyber attacks to the US Government, the IMO, Maersk, amongst others has caused the world to pay attention to criminal cyber activities by foreign states, terrorists, and criminals. The cyber attack against CMA CGM shut down services for close on two weeks. Two days later, on October 30th the IMO was held hostage by a cyber attack. These attacks follow attacks earlier this year against MSC and COSCO.As of January 1, 2021 all vessels that have a safety management system must address cyber security in order to maintain ISM certification.

08 Feb 2021

Fincantieri, Italian Shipping Academy Launch Cybersecurity Training

© Song_about_summer / Adobe Stock

Fincantieri, through its subsidiary E-phors, specialized in providing cybersecurity services and products, has recently provided a training course in partnership with the Italian Shipping Academy, aimed at introducing deck officers to the basics of cybersecurity.The three-day training course is part of the Academy’s project – funded by the European Commission “Common Maritime Education Standards in the West Mediterranean” – and  it has also been carried out thanks to the cooperation of Cetena (study center in the maritime field)…

10 Oct 2020

Maritime Resilience and the Human Element at MRS2020

Register now for the 2020 Maritime Risk Symposium
https://ciri.illinois.edu/events/11th-maritime-risk-symposium-2020. © George Dolgikh/AdobeStock

Has the age of maritime discovery and exploration actually ended? Perhaps not exactly. As the history of maritime resilience and the human element shows, as far back as the 1500s and earlier, from using new navigational aids and improved ship designs, to coastal and inland route sailing, to navigating on open seas with uncertain charts, wayward icebergs, dense fog and luckily at times, clear starry nights, mariners have faced human element and maritime resiliency challenges. "Short of food and water…

06 Oct 2020

Port Everglades Appoints Charlton as Operations Director

Ricardo Charlton (Photo: Port Everglades)

Broward County’s Port Everglades has appointed Ricardo D. Charlton, BSME, FSO, as its new Director of Operations.Port Everglades is a self-supporting enterprise fund of Broward County, Fla., generating more than $170 million in revenues in fiscal year 2019 (October 1, 2018 – September 1, 2019) and is ranked among the nation’s leading container ports and a world leader in the cruise industry.As Director of Operations, Charlton will oversee a workforce of 95 encompassing the Division’s Harbormaster Office…

27 Apr 2020

Gibbs & Cox Hires Hobbs as Chief Information Officer

Brian Hobbs (Photo: Gibbs & Cox)

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Gibbs & Cox announced Brian Hobbs has joined the company as Chief Information Officer. In his new role, Hobbs will provide executive leadership and oversight of the full spectrum of corporate information technology infrastructure, security, end user services, people and processes."With the cyber landscape constantly evolving and threats becoming increasingly more sophisticated, Brian's experience will help us and our clients increase resiliency and securely achieve the next generation of cyber capabilities…

10 Oct 2019

Autonomous Shipping – Cyber Hazards Ahead

A look at the typical areas most frequently seen as the scene of common accidents on board workboats. (source: European Maritime Safety Agency [EMSA])

If autonomous vessels are the future of maritime shipping, then cyber threats may be its Achilles heel. Congested shipping, restricted visibility, limited maneuverability, and intensive docking activities all contribute to port hazards – 42 percent of EU reported marine accidents (injury/death/damage to ships) took place in port areas and 44 percent of workboat fatalities occurred on Tugs. Autonomous shipping should provide numerous benefits including increased safety by relieving crewmembers of unsafe and repetitious tasks.

09 Jul 2019

USCG, Stakeholders Respond to Whittier, AK Explosion, Dock Fire

A fire burns at Delong Dock after an explosion on fixed barge in Whittier, Alaska, July 8, 2019. In addition to Coast Guard crews, response efforts included members of the Whittier Fire Department, Whittier Police Department, Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel Fire Department and Girdwood Fire Department. Photo courtesy of Coast Guard Sector Anchorage.

Coast Guard crews have suspended the search for one person missing after an explosion and subsequent fire at Delong Dock in Whittier, Alaska, Monday.An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, forward deployed to Cordova, searched by air while crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Chandeleur and Coast Guard Auxiliary 336 also conducted a search for the missing person.Shortly after midnight, Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders heard the phrase "Whittier fire…

09 Jul 2019

DSS Honors Retlif

Retlif Testing Laboratories, the provider of EMC/EMI, lightning and Environmental Simulation testing and engineering services for maritime, has received the prestigious Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Award from the Defense Security Service (DSS).According to a press release from USA's  internationally recognized strategic compliance organization, the Cogswell award recognizes industrial security excellence and outstanding achievement in matters related exclusively to a facility’s security program.Established in 1966, it honors the late Air Force Colonel James S. Cogswell, the first Chief of Industrial Security within the Department of Defense.Retlif Executive Vice President and Facility Security Officer William K.

15 Apr 2019

BMA Appoints Hutchinson as MD, CEO

Captain Dwain E. Hutchinson (Photo: BMA)

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) announces the appointment of Captain Dwain E. Hutchinson as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Captain Hutchinson succeeds Commodore Davy F. Rolle, who stepped down as Director last year.Captain Hutchinson is a proud Bahamian from Nassau, New Providence island, where he completed his tertiary education before commencing his maritime studies in Scotland at Glasgow College of Nautical Studies. Qualified with a UK Master Mariner (Unlimited) STCW Certificate of Competency…

04 Mar 2019

Mexico Conducts Port Security Workshop

The second in a planned series of interactive workshops to prepare countries for a wide range of potential threats and security situations has been held, in Veracruz, Mexico (26-27 February).The interactive Port Facility Security/Port Security Officer Tabletop Exercise was run by International Maritime Organization (IMO) in collaboration with the Organization of American States Inter American Committee Against Terrorism (OAS-CICTE), following a successful pilot in Panama 2018.According to a press note from the UN body, participants in Mexico took part in a simulation exercise, designed to allow port facility security officers to develop their decision making skills in different situations…

17 Dec 2018

Simulation Exercises on Port Security in Panama

Simulation exercises are proving to be a valuable tool to assist countries and port authorities to prepare for a wide range of potential threats and security situations.According to a press release, an interactive port facility/port security officer workshop in Panama City, Panama (13-14 December) presented a series of possible scenarios which were deliberately varied, from the easiest problems to solve, to others that may require greater participation and analysis to reach a solution.Participants discussed needs, possibilities and opportunities to improve collaboration between them and other responsible actors for port and maritime security in Panama, both at the port level as well as at the national level.The outcome is improved capacity for better prevention and response.

14 Aug 2018

HudsonTrident Announces Updated Facility Security Course

Mike Edgerton (Photo: HudsonAnalytix)

HudsonAnalytix, Inc. announced its maritime security subsidiary, HudsonTrident has updated its Facility Security Officer Course to reflect recent changes in the International Ship and Port Security Code Model Course.The course was reviewed by the U.S. Coast Guard and found to meet the standards of competence provided in 33 CFR 105.205, International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) Part A/2.1.8, ISPS Code Part A/17, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO) (2015 Edition).“Our revised course and its review by the U.S.

30 Jul 2018

American P&I Club Manager Prepares for Further Growth

Dorothea Ioannou (Photo: The American Club)

Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc. (SCB), the Manager of the American P&I Club, has recently announced a series of appointments designed to service the Club’s growing membership and help fulfil longer-term goals of continued expansion. The American Club has grown its membership substantially over recent years, tonnage having increased by some 25 percent over the past 24 months, and these appointments are intended to consolidate the Club’s continuing service capabilities in the future.The…

27 Dec 2017

Maritime Cyber Security: The Wrong Formula

© newrossosh / Adobe Stock

For many industries, cyber security is about target hardening and perimeter defense. This makes sense, as cyber security is implemented in much the same way that physical security is implemented. We often think of it in terms of the medieval castle design, which translates to defense in depth in modern vernacular. This formula makes sense, as we can see and touch perimeter defense in physical security. We have seen and are comfortable with things such as fencing, ingress and egress areas (think doors, drives, sidewalks), guard stations, and cameras. We like thinks we can see and touch.

15 Nov 2017

Maritime Cyber Security: The Wrong Formula

© leeyiutung / Adobe Stock

For many industries, cyber security is about target hardening and perimeter defense. This makes sense, as cyber security is implemented in much the same way that physical security is implemented. We often think of it in terms of the medieval castle design, which translates to defense in depth in modern vernacular. This formula makes sense, as we can see and touch perimeter defense in physical security. We have seen and are comfortable with things such as fencing, ingress and egress areas (think doors, drives, sidewalks), guard stations and cameras. We like things we can see and touch.

10 Jul 2017

New Order for EMRI Autopilot

Photo: EMRI

Furetank is about to delivery its newest generation of environment friendly product and chemical tankers, which are intended to sail in the waters surrounding Sweden. Especially the archipelagos are difficult to navigate through but as Furetank has experienced, the EMRI autopilots can do the job together with a good ECDIS voyage planning. Besides the autopilot, Furetank’s new fleet will receive its Remote-Control System from EMRI. This entails the central steering wheel on the bridge…

26 Jun 2017

HII Hires Davis to Lead Cyber Security Program

Ron Davis (Photo: HII)

Ron A. Davis has joined Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) as chief information systems officer (CISO). In this new role, he will lead the company’s cyber security program with responsibility for ensuring the early identification of threats and risks and the implementation of controls and other processes and methods to protect information systems for the entire HII enterprise. Davis will work in HII’s Washington, D.C., office and will report to Chris Kastner, executive vice president, business management, and chief financial officer. “Cyber security is a top priority for HII,” Kastner said.

22 May 2017

Cyber Vigilance at Sea: The New Norm

© Sergei Simonov / Adobe Stock

The risk of cyber attacks on vessels at sea continues to be significant, and it’s not going away any time soon. Each year, it seems, there are more and more reports of hacks that have resulted in loss of critical data, financial loss or problems with IT systems or shipborne systems functionality. Shipowners have been reluctant to share information on actual or attempted breaches for fear of being identified. However, there’s no shortage of examples of cyber attacks on vessels.

22 Feb 2017

Maritime Cook Islands Technical Department Reconstituted

Maritime Cook Islands (“MCI”), the international ship registry, hassignificantly enhanced its technical department with a series of senior appointments. The new department now has a much stronger presence in the key European market following the appointments of Paolo Favilli, Rachele Andreani, Brendan Smith and Andrea Emanuele Pippa. Brendan Smith is based in Rarotonga, Cook Islands,home of the flag while his three colleagues are based in Europe. The reconstituted department, consisting of experienced professionals with industry-relevant technical expertise, aims to further solidify MCI’s presence in Europe, and to improve service standards to MCI’s clients in the region.

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