ClassNK Publishes Maritime Cyber Security Guidelines

Japan-based classification society ClassNK has released the second edition of its Guidelines for Designing Cyber Security Onboard Ships outlining current best practices for newbuild design.

In the latest iteration, which is available to download at no cost via ClassNK’s website, the control measures and the framework to implement such measures were updated to incorporate the international cyber security standards for industrial control systems IEC 62443 series and the latest recommendation on cyber resilience for new ships (Rec. No. 166) published by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) in May 2020. In addition, they introduced requirements for adding class notations to classification codes related to cyber security.

Based on the ClassNK Cyber Security Approach which outlines the society’s basic approach to ensuring onboard cyber security for ships, the updated guidelines are a compilation of current best practices for newbuild designs by shipyards and shipbuilding owners from the perspective of identifying computer systems that should be protected from cyber incidents and of building networks to protect them.

ClassNK said it will carry out cyber security verification during the design and construction stage of newbuilds based on the guidelines and issue a class notation to compliant ships in response to applications for registration inspection during manufacturing by shipyards.