ICHCA Community on Global Cargo Chain Saftey

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, Gran Canaria, 2-6 October 2017.

 

Part of ICHCA’s #makeitsecure campaign, the Physical and Cyber Security session on Day 2 of the ICHCA Conference will feature a presentation from Rafael Company, R&D Project Manager, Valenciaport Foundation who will present the SAURON project (Scalable multidimensional situation awareness solution for protecting European ports) which aims to keep ports secure by taking a holistic view of critical infrastructures. 

 

The system combines and interlinks physical and cyber security systems to analyse vulnerabilities and interdependencies. ICHCA International was pleased to talk to Mr Company at length about the project in a recent guest editorial.

 

Joining him from Novae, a diversified property and casualty (re)insurance business operating through Syndicate 2007 at Lloyd’s of London, will be Sharif Gardner, Head of Training Underwriting – Marine, Aviation, Political Risk & Specialty. Mr Gardner is responsible for shaping the education of Brokers, Underwriters and End-Clients on cyber security risks and has been involved with the launch of the new ‘Be Cyber Aware At Sea’ campaign, of which ICHCA is proud to be a supporter. 

 

Also speaking in the session will be David Fairnie, Principal Consultant, Supply Chain Security at EMEA, BSI; Jorge Martin Diaz de Espada, HSSE Global Manager at Terminal Investment Limited; and Cecilia Muller Torbrand, Programme Director of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN).

 

The session will examine security challenges and responses, different industry initiatives on cyber security, how to marry security with the need for speed in cargo handling operations, how to share information securely, how to secure the physical environment and it will look at systems that provide solutions to multidimensional security issues.

 

“The nature of the global cargo chain makes it particularly vulnerable to security threats given the involvement of multiple parties cooperating and sharing information and systems”, says Rachael White, CEO Secretariat of ICHCA International. “Moreover, there has been a notable lack of consideration given to cyber-threats by regulators and industry stakeholders alike until very recently. Despite these challenges, it is critical to the future of cargo operations that the industry engenders a change in security culture to incorporate cyber security issues. We need to embrace new mechanisms and technologies that will enable us to improve the security of the global cargo chain.”

 

How blockchain technology and the Internet of Things could potentially improve security in the cargo chain will be a topic for discussion in the Conference’s SMART session, also on Day 2.