Security Systems News

Houthi rebel drone attacks on vessels traversing the Red Sea and Suez Canal route, accounting for 10% of global trade, have exposed the shortcomings of current ship alert systems.The unpredictability and increased frequency of these attacks have created a challenging security environment for ships passing the area via the Bab el Mandeb strait, posing a substantial risk to seafarers and maritime trade by endangering the safety of the crew and cargo.Initially focused on Israel-related ships in solidarity with Hamas…

Saab and GMV are collaborating in ASGARD, an EU-funded project that aims to improve maritime security when using GNSS and OSNMA. The project addresses the growing threat of GNSS spoofing and other cyberattacks on navigation systems used in the maritime industry.The ASGARD project, run by Saab and GMV, is an ambitious European Union (EU) initiative that aims to develop advanced technologies to improve Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) security in maritime environments.

Indonesian shipping company Meratus unveiled SMARCO-Smart Container, a technology that leverages advanced sensors and cloud-based tech for efficient and secure container shipping. Using IoT sensors, GPS tracking, and cloud-based technology, SMARCO is desgined to providefull visibility and control of container shipments, including real-time monitoring of movement, speed, shock, intrusion, and temperature changes.After arrival at the destination, customers receive a comprehensive report on  the shipment process.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced $384.4 million in federal funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for expanding and improving the nation’s ferry service in communities across the country, as well as accelerate the transition to zero emission transportation.In total, FTA is awarding 23 grants across 11 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Grants will fund projects including replacement of old vessels, expand fleets, and build new terminals and docks.

Korean Register (KR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ship management company KLCSM and shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) to jointly research and approve the application of autonomous navigation systems for mid- to large-sized vessels.The agreement, which was signed on June 23 at this year’s Korea Ocean Expo in Incheon, Korea, aims to accelerate the commercialization and international competitiveness of domestic autonomous ship equipment and technology…

NAPA, a global provider of software, services and data analysis for the maritime industry, said it has received the ISO 27001:2013 certification on information security management, validating the company’s adherence to international best practices on data management and security.ISO 27001:2013 is an international standard that defines the requirements for a comprehensive information security management system, enabling organizations to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data.

Royal Caribbean Group on Wednesday took delivery of its newest cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas, built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.The 169,000 GT, 347.1-meter vessel is the last of five Quantum Ultra class cruise ships started in January 2013 with the launch of Quantum of the Seas."Royal Caribbean Group commissioned us in 2011 to build the first two units of the Quantum class, which have been very popular with passengers since day one. We have continuously improved and developed these ships…

Havyard said Monday it has been contracted to develop a new emissions-free ship concept for transporting cargo between European ports.The contracting partner, an unnamed European company, was first introduced to Havyard by Invest in Norway, who has been working with this company for the last two years in supporting their entry to the Norwegian maritime industry, Havyard  said.Lars Conradi Andersen, Vice President Sales, said, "The framework for this contract is to develop a ship…

Dubai's Drydocks World has begun work on a part of a turret mooring system for Jotun FPSO, for Bluewater Energy, with the end client being Var Energi in Norway.Namely, Drydocks said Wednesday it had held a steel-cutting ceremony to mark the start of production of the turntable project for the FPSO.According to the company, this turntable is part of a Turret Mooring System (TMS) for the Jotun A FPSO, which will be permanently moored and operated at the Balder field in the Norwegian Sector of the North Sea.The turntable is 24 meters in diameter and 10 meters high, weighing around 925 tons.

First topside module was lifted and installed earlier this week on the Energean Power FPSO hull at Sembcorp Marine's Admiralty Yard in Singapore.Oil and gas company Energean said that the electrical house (E-house), which contains all the FPSO control equipment and electrical switchgear, was lifted onto the Energean Power hull on the 24th August. The E-house, weighing in at 850 tonnes, was lifted using the L-801 Barge pontoon crane, with lift preparation starting early morning…

Cyber-attacks on the maritime industry’s operational technology (OT) systems have increased by 900% over the last three years with the number of reported incidents set to reach record volumes by year end.Addressing port and terminal operators during an online forum last week, Robert Rizika, Naval Dome’s Boston-based Head of North American Operations, explained that in 2017 there were 50 significant OT hacks reported, increasing to 120 in 2018 and more than 310 last year. He said this year is looking like it will end with more than 500 major cyber security breaches…

DP World, UAE Region’s next-generation security solutions provider World Security has launched the first autonomous security surveillance boat in the Middle East to upgrade security and surveillance at Jebel Ali Port, Mina Rashid, Mina Al Hamriya and other facilities in the UAE.The state-of-the-art boat introduces an extra dimension to World Security's portfolio of solutions, demanded by the uncertainty of the current changing environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.It also marks a new stage in World Security’ rising profile as Dubai’s industry leader for marine…

The largest Liquid Ethylene Gas (LEG) ship owner in China has agreed a commitment to install Fleet Xpress connectivity from Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications on all its vessels. This will also include Inmarsat’s Fleet Secure Endpoint, the new line of defense in the multi-layered strategy to thwart cyber threats.Pacific Gas has committed to the new Fleet Secure Endpoint solution within the terms of its agreement to install Fleet Xpress across…

American international technical professional services firm Jacobs will deliver design engineering services for what will be the largest shipyard on the Arabian Gulf: the King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries and Services at Ras Al Khair, Saudi ArabiaA press announcement stated that Jacobs has been selected by SEPCO Electric Power Construction Corporation to deliver engineering services for Packages 4, 5 and 6 of the Complex.Jacobs Buildings and Infrastructure Senior Vice President and General Manager Patrick Hill said: "This award continues Jacobs' long-term commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where we have…

The Alameda County Transportation Commission has received $12.45 million from the California Transportation Commission for the implementation of the Freight Intelligent Transportation System (FITS) program at the Port of Oakland.FITS includes 15 freight technology demonstration projects designed to address traffic management, security systems and roadway improvements at the Oakland seaport. The funding comes from California Senate Bill 1 funds.The Port said FITS will reduce congestion and improve traffic flow for truckers who haul cargo containers in and out of Oakland. It will also update security systems and provide a common communication platform for first responders…

Teekay Offshore, one of the largest marine energy transportation, storage & production companies, has renewed and expanded its agreements with maritime connectivity provider Marlink to continue utilizing high quality global VSAT services for a further four years. The contract extension ensures reliable global broadband connectivity for data sharing and smart vessel operations, improved facilities for crew welfare and a flexible platform to generate efficiencies from the maritime…

IEC Telecom will launch its Orion Edge+ satellite voice and data communication solution during this week’s Sea Asia (April 9 to 11).Orion Edge+ provides high quality, reliable broadband with the ultimate cost effective operational benefits. It also provides flexible data plans with no long-term commitment. This flexibility makes Orion Edge+ ideal for busy offshore support vessels, tugs, and oil and gas contractors.Powered by Thuraya’s Orion IP broadband and Thuraya’s Seastar circuit switched voice terminal…

Marlink is unveiling a unique and intelligent threat detection solution for the maritime industry at SMM 2018 this week.Cyber Detection, the latest addition to Marlink’s fully integrated ship and shore-based Cyber Guard portfolio, monitors all outbound and inbound network traffic around the clock and enables customers to view threats affecting their vessels through an intuitive, web-based dashboard. In addition, customers may also set-up notifications on critical threats to be received by email and/or SMS.

Over the past two months the world has been rocked by three major hacking events that have garnered international notice. These included the EQIFAX event in which 140 million individuals were reported to be possibly compromised, the WannaCry attack and the NotPeyta event. In the past two years the emphasis on the cyber security of the Marine Transportation System, a vital economic cog to the world has come under increasing scrutiny. In August, trade journals and major international…

The leading NGO for the global cargo handling industry ICHCA will use its 65th anniversary conference in October to tackle risks to the cyber and physical security of the global cargo chain, said a press statement. Following the Petya attack in June, one of the biggest cyber-attacks ever experienced in global shipping which crippled A.P. Moller-Maersk’s computer systems worldwide for 5 days, the need to protect against both cyber and physical threats to critical maritime infrastructures has been topmost on the minds of many in the cargo handling industry. Responding to this, ICHCA International, the voice of global cargo handling, has picked issues surrounding security as one of five key areas for focused discussions at its 65th anniversary event which takes place in Las Palmas…

Technology group Wärtsilä and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) have signed a new joint venture company agreement. The new joint venture, to be known as CSSC Wärtsilä Electrical & Automation Co Ltd (CWE&A), will focus on the growing Chinese electrical and automation (E&A) market, especially for high-tech ship applications. The joint venture company is expected to be fully operational before the middle of 2017. China is a growing market within the high-tech ships segment, and Chinese yards are increasingly active in newbuild projects for high-tech and high-added value ships.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is asking shipping and maritime companies to be vigilant to the potential commercial impact that cyber-attacks can cause. IMB says that cyber security is not only about trying to identify and to prevent systems on board ships from getting hacked or ‘taken over’. “There is also a very real danger that emails being sent to and from ships are monitored or altered. This could have huge commercial effect on vessels,” an IMB spokesman said. At its recent Maritime Safety Committee meeting, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) approved interim guidelines on maritime cyber risk management. The…

Maritime vessels are under significant threat of cyber-attack because many are carrying outdated software and were not designed with cyber security in mind, according to new research. But operators could easily mitigate against such dangers by updating security systems, improving ship design and providing better training for crews, the study led by Plymouth University’s Maritime Cyber Threats Research Group suggests. Traditionally, attacks on marine vessels have included piracy, boarding, theft, and/or destruction, and while these attacks have often been successful and continue, they are well understood. In contrast, the article says…