Social Networking News

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.

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.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. said it has partnered with online and mobile commerce company Alibaba Group for its entry into the Chinese cruise shipping market. Alibaba operates the world’s largest online and mobile marketplaces, offering a wide range of products and services to its nearly half billion monthly active users. In China, people live, work and play on Alibaba, buying local and overseas products, and enjoying its entertainment and lifestyle services – travel, food delivery and social networking.

Did you know that there are approximately 1.6 million seafarers today, and that 69% of those recently surveyed say access to crew communications at sea influences their choice of employer? Statistics show that the crew communications market value exceeded $1.39 billion USD last year and although 89% of seafarers understand and feel comfortable using satellite communications technology, there are 78,000 crew who never have access to it. Only 56% of crew always have access to crew communications, and with crew welfare continually a hot topic, increasing access to quality and real-time communications whilst at sea puts owners in a stronger position to attract and retain the right crew.

On Tuesday morning (December 06, 2016), the navigator Kito de Pavant suffered a serious damage following a collision with an unidentified floating object while sailing in the North of the Crozet Islands. The crew CMA CGM Marion Dufresne then immediately modified its route in order to come to rescue the skipper as soon as possible. The ship was then the boat closest to the sailboat in distress, and will be on site in about ten hours of sailing. Since 1995, CMA CGM has been the owner of the Marion Dufresne, a supply vessel for the French Southern lands and the largest French ocean vessel owned by the TAAF (French Southern and Antarctic Territories).

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans is set to host the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the largest gathering of Port and maritime professionals in the Western Hemisphere. The conference, scheduled for Oct. 23-26 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, will include technical and policy committee meetings, business sessions and social networking for port professionals and marine transportation leaders throughout the four-day event. “This year marks the seventh time New Orleans has played host to AAPA’s Annual Conference,” said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange. "AAPA and our member ports are excited to be returning to New Orleans for our annual convention,” said AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle.

Compromising the cyber integrity of the network threatens every user and every system on your ship or in your building. Violating security best practices, circumventing security policies, carelessness and falling victim to social networking exploits opens the door to cyber adversaries who can exploit vulnerabilities which may directly impact our Navy's warfighting capability and potentially threaten our lives. Cyber foes are no longer just recreational hackers in pursuit of bragging rights. They are cyber-criminals, cyber-terrorists and nation-states who are in constant pursuit of access to our systems. They can corrupt our Navy's data…

To tap devout Islamic believers, Turkey will launch its first Muslims-friendly 100 percent halal cruise on the Aegean Sea next month for religiously observant travelers in the country. The country’s fist halal cruise was announced by the Antalya-based Fusion Tour company as a new approach that hopes to tap into the $145 billion global halal tourism sector. On the ship’s September voyage to neighboring Greece, there will be no alcohol, no pork-related products and no gambling, adhering to Islamic Shariah. Themed “On the track of the Ottomans,” everything on board will be in accordance with Islamic religious values. The cruise will include segregated sports centers, single-sex spa facilities, separate Turkish baths and prayer rooms.

Frost & Sullivan today launched its latest research, Mega Trends Malaysia in collaboration with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). Mega Trends are defined as transformative, global forces that define the future world with their far reaching impact on business, societies, economies, cultures and personal lives. According to Hazmi Yusof, Malaysia Country Head and Senior Vice President of Frost & Sullivan, “We want to help our clients use Mega Trends as a framework to think about how to innovate and drive their business. Mega Trends have diverse meanings and impacts for different industries, companies, and individuals. “We are delighted to partner with MIDA to launch the Malaysian Edition of Frost & Sullivan’s Mega Trends report.

As a thousand Vietnamese rioters stormed his factory on Tuesday night, smashing windows and ripping down Chinese-language signs, Taiwanese executive Henry Yeh hid with a colleague in the back of a fire truck, clutching the only weapon he could find: a golf club. "With that many people surrounding us, it was useless. I was afraid they would kill us," said Yeh, 27, who works for a Taiwan textile company at an industrial park in the suburbs of Ho Chi Minh City. Yeh and his colleague eventually escaped unscathed. Others were not so fortunate. What started as heated but peaceful nationwide protests against Chinese oil-drilling in a patch of the South China Sea claimed by Vietnam exploded into two days of rioting that left hundreds of Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean factories damaged or destroyed.

MTN Government (MTNGOV), a subsidiary of MTN Communications (MTN) and a company in satellite communications, cybersecurity and integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) solutions serving U.S. DoD and civilian agencies worldwide, announced the introduction of the industry’s first “Social Media Threat Intelligence” managed service. This service is a predictive cyber solution that enables U.S. government agencies using social networking, mobile devices and distributed workforces to protect against the onslaught of cyber threats. The solution identifies and analyzes malicious actors, threats and targeted attacks against U.S. government leaders and agencies, and provides proactive, actionable threat analytics and intelligence in advance of any network compromise.

There are a number of DP-equipped vessels currently in operation in the Gulf, with the majority of new build deep water vessels opting to fit DP during the construction phase. This increasing use of DP means that there is growing demand for highly qualified personnel, at a time when many existing operators are in full time employment and the numbers of those newly-qualified are still learning the trade, leaving employers struggling to adhere to stringent operational safety standards.

SMSGlobal Ltd., a provider  of personal communications for the global maritime industry, today announced that the number of vessels now equipped with its CrewCommCenter has reached 3,000. CrewCommCenter creates an onboard Internet Café, allowing seafarers to stay in touch with family and friends without interfering with the ship's official business communications. The milestone is doubly significant as SMSGlobal marks its tenth year in the maritime industry. Today, around the globe, more than 120,000 seafarers use CrewCommCenter to exchange approximately 2,200,000 messages with over 1,300,000 friends and loved ones on-shore each month. “This milestone is a testament to CrewCommCenter and cements it as the crew communications solution of choice,” said Capt.

‘Addressing the Challenges of New Frontiers’ is the topical theme for the International Marine Contractors Association’s (IMCA) Annual Seminar being held in Singapore November 6-7, 2013. The program for the 18th seminar in the annual series is now online at imca-int.com/events/imca-annual-seminar.aspx, and registration is open. Open to members and non-members alike, the seminar features keynote addresses, presentations, workshops and discussions on diving including key developments and advances in diving equipment and operations; marine and subsea operations including DP operations; marine operations, technology and equipment; offshore surveying in remote and harsh environments; ROV and AUV resources and developments in technology.

Australian businessman and owner of Blue Star Cruise Line, Professor Clive Palmer, hosted the black-tie event aboard the retired 'USS Intrepid'. The organizers say that the event was attended by a who’s who of world leaders, senior diplomats and major political figures, who were treated to a lavish 11-course menu, first class entertainment and the unveiling of Titanic II blueprints. Singer/songwriter Roxy Darr's rendition of the song 'My Heart Will Go On', impressed Professor Palmer to the extent that he uploaded a video of her performance onto social networking site Vimeo. Blue Star add that they consider that Titanic II has captured the world’s imagination since Professor Palmer announced that his shipping company…

Nor-Shipping 2013 opens just three months from now with a cast of speakers featuring top executives from world-leading companies covering the entire value chain of themaritime industry – from shipowners and technology and service companies to regulators and financiers. Among speakers welcoming delegates to the Opening Conference on June 4 will be Norway’s Minister of Trade and Industry Trond Giske, who will provide a governmental perspective, and IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu, who will share regulatory insights.HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will also attend.

Maritime Communications Partner (MCP) has signed an extended contract to deliver wireless communication services to Stena Line’s European ferry operations. MCP, a  onboard communications provider, has announced  the extension of its partnership with Stena Line. The new contract is an extension of the existing contract, and expands MCP’s wireless communication services on to an additional two Stena Line vessels. These vessels include the former Scandlines vessels Sassnitz and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The new contract will ensure the most reliable end-to-end wireless services available. Passengers will have access to state of the art mobile communication services, with MCP enhancing today’s GSM service with higher bandwidth systems like 3G and LTE in the coming years.

New interactive website to inform, raise resources, tells all about the historic ex Blue Riband holder S.S. According to organizers of the 'Save the United States Campaign' their new website blends social networking with historic preservation to raise awareness and resources for the cause of saving one of the nation’s most iconic national symbols. The groundbreaking interactive experience will create an online community committed to protecting a unique and inspiring expression of American pride and innovation.

Maritime Communications Partner (MCP) has strengthened its foothold in the Mediterranean through a major turnkey telecommunications contract with Corsica & Sardinia Ferries, one of Italy’s most prestigious ferry operators. The five-year contract covers Mobile Telephony, Mobile Internet, WiFi and VSAT for eight passenger ferries and plays a key role in supporting Corsica’s ongoing aims to provide crew and passengers with competitive wireless communications backed by a highly reliable quality cellular network.Corsica & Sardinia Ferries are one of the biggest operators on the Western Mediterranean Sea transporting about 3.5 million passengers annually aboard their ferries running to and from France and Italy to Corsica and Sardinia.

Stratos is First to Activate New FleetBroadband Pricing Plan for Single-Vessel Operators and Small Fleets.New plans meet high data-usage requirements of yachts and other vessels. Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced it is the first Inmarsat Distribution Partner to activate Inmarsat’s new FleetBroadband Large Money Bundle for single-vessel operators and fleets with fewer than 10 vessels. The new Large Money Bundles offer the high performance (up to 432kbps)…

Boston Whaler boat owners will soon have immediate access to critical boat and cruising information in the palm of their hands ─ thanks to a new iPhone application under development for introduction this Spring. “The Unsinkable iPhone App features a wide range of useful tools for Whaler owners and enthusiasts alike,” said Jeff Vaughn, Boston Whaler’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. “It can help boaters locate the nearest ramp, and even allow them to find the nearest servicing Whaler dealer for emergency technical assistance or local knowledge.” Other tools of the application include links to local weather forecasts and tides, Whaler events and rendezvous, and fast access to Boston Whaler’s social networking sites.

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has appointed a new event manager with a specific brief to strengthen the association's outreach on social networks and e-platforms. Charlotte Egan has joined IBIA's Southampton-based team. Egan has six years experience in events management and marketing, commencing with working on cruise vessels for the Carnival Group, then working for the Royal Automobile Club, a life sciences company and the University of Southampton, where she helped promote a multi-disciplinary maritime group.

to go up, an Inmarsat service provider has claimed. Asad Salameh, President of World‐Link Communications, said ship owners and managers are ready to be sold the real benefits that onboard broadband communications can bring such as improved fuel savings, lower maintenance costs and a happier and better connected shipboard crew complement. “For a market that is coming out of the freeze, concern remains about a slow recovery. More than ever before ship owners and managers have to be sold on the benefits of broad band, and new services being proposed as operational costs remain a major concern,” he said. The maritime communications sector…