CrowdStrike: Countering Maritime’s ‘Invisible Pirates’
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John Titmus (Photo: CrowdStrike)
“Maritime has been described as ‘the next playground for hackers,’” said John Titmus, Director, EMEA - Cybersecurity Strategy Advisor at cyber security specialist CrowdStrike. “It’s an industry revolving around high value assets, moving valuable cargoes, that is transitioning to an increased reliance on digital systems. These technologies - ranging from automatic identification systems (AIS), to GPS, electronic chart displays and information systems (ECDIS), and complex cargo and energy management systems – are all vulnerable to attack and exploitation.”
CrowdStrike, alongside the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), will appear at Nor-Shipping in Oslo to highlight the scale of the risks facing an increasingly digitized shipping industry. The firm will lead a session focusing on the tactics, techniques and procedures of ‘invisible pirates’ and the actions the industry can take to rebuff them.
“Smart shipping and the advent of broadband communication between ship and shore can unlock huge potential for the sector. Unfortunately that’s also true for the criminal fraternity. We’ll be using our platform at Nor-Shipping to teach delegates how they can spot indicators of compromise and attack, and, crucially how they can safeguard their organization accordingly,” Titmus said.
The joint CrowdStrike and ABS event will take place as part of Nor-Shipping’s Disruptive Talks program on May 31 in Hall A at the main exhibition halls in Lillestrøm. Sofia Fürstenberg, Nor-Shipping Project manager - Disruptive Sustainability, said it perfectly complements a diverse program of discussions and sessions focusing on an industry in a state of flux.
“The world is changing at an astonishing rate and, unfortunately, that brings risks and challenges as well as business opportunity,” Fürstenberg noted. “As recent developments with the WannaCry ransomware have shown us, cyber security must have a place on the business agenda of every organization and that is especially true in shipping.
“Many shipping businesses have yet to acknowledge the scale of the threat facing them. They are steaming full speed ahead on the course to Digitalization without having adequate security procedures and systems in place. We hope this session, led by global experts of this quality, will help the industry wake up to potential danger and act to counter this growing global band of digital-savvy pirates.”
In addition to CrowdStrike, recently ranked number 11 in CNBC’s annual Disruptor 50 list, other ‘disruptive’ contributors will include next generation transportation business Hyperloop TT, trailblazing NGO Peace Boat, Siemens and Kongsberg Digital, amongst others. The program supports the ‘Disruptive Sustainability’ theme of Hall A, where exhibitors will showcase innovative ideas, from inside and outside the maritime arena, with the potential to revolutionize today’s shipping industry.
“It’s a concept and a program with something to inspire everyone,” Fürstenberg said. “We believe many of these ideas will transform the way we do business and, in the case of cyber security, hopefully sooner rather than later.”
