The International Marine Organization (IMO) has given ship owners until 2021 to ensure cybersecurity incorporation into ship safety standards. KPMG and Kongsberg announced Oct. 8 that they have joined forces to help clients in the maritime industry with complete cybersecurity solutions that cover all aspects of their operations.
By combining Kongsberg’s technology for the maritime sector and digital ecosystems with KPMG’s cybersecurity advisory and digital risk management services, the two companies aim at providing the maritime sector with digital services to address existing and future cybersecurity risks.
“90 percent of global trade is carried by ship, and digitalization of the maritime industry will enable vast increases in efficiency, safety, and productivity,” said Hege Skryseth, president of Kongsberg Digital. “But there are also threats. No more than you would climb Mount Everest without bringing a first aid kit, should you digitalize without thinking about cybersecurity.”
“From broad experience with our clients in the maritime, critical infrastructure and logistics sector, we see that the maritime industry has an exciting digitalization opportunity, that can only be harvested with proper risk management in place,” said Arne Helme, cybersecurity partner at KPMG.
Maritime cyber risk refers to a measure of the extent to which a technology asset could be threatened by a potential circumstance or event, which may result in shipping-related operational, safety or security failures as a consequence of information or systems being corrupted, lost or compromised. Kongsberg says some 50,000 ships in the maritime transport industry remain highly exposed to cyberattacks.
The IMO cyber risk management requirement will include the process of identifying, analyzing, assessing and communicating a cyber-related risk and accepting, avoiding, transferring or mitigating it to an acceptable level, considering costs and benefits of actions taken to stakeholders.
