Maritime Cyber Security Is Too Weak

Uploaded on 2025-06-18 in NEWS-Cybersecurity News, FREE TO VIEW, BUSINESS-Services-Transport & Travel

Despite increasing digital integration the maritime sector remains very vulnerable to cyber threats and attacks. Indeed, there are widespread concerns that even the most advanced ships with cutting-edge green tech are too often connected to weak IT infrastructures that are vulnerable to exploitation, espionage and sabotage.

Now, Simon Fotakis, Director of Technology Sales at SmartSea, has called on the maritime industry to not forget the importance of cyber security.

“The truth is, cyber security still lags behind where it needs to be,” said Fotakis. “We’re seeing advanced ships with cutting-edge green tech but often connected to weak IT infrastructures that are vulnerable to exploitation, espionage and sabotage.” According the Foatkis, many in the maritime industry still treat cyber security as a checkbox instead of a core capability. "It’s a dangerous disconnect from reality as a single intrusion could cripple a fleet and erase years of progress, Fotakis says.

Despite increasing digital integration, the maritime sector remains highly vulnerable to cyber threats, many of which target poorly protected onboard IT systems rather than core navigation or propulsion infrastructure.

According to the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), one of the largest of the international shipping associations representing shipowners, over 80 percent of shipowners have experienced a cyber attack in the past three years, and the average cost of a maritime cyberattack is estimated at $3.1 million. Despite this, only 31 percent of maritime companies say they have a high level of cybersecurity preparedness and phishing remains the top attack vector, responsible for 91 percent of successful breaches in the industry.

SmartSea calls for deeper collaboration between shipping companies, insurers and cybersecurity providers to tackle the growing threat of cyber espionage and nation-state attacks. “There is a need for real-time intelligence sharing across the maritime supply chain, joint incident response planning with live scenario testing, and insurance models that reward genuine cyber maturity rather than ticking compliance boxes,” said Fotakis.

Fotakis advocates developing secure-by-design technologies from the outset rather than retrofitting security measures.

Protecting maritime assets from espionage and long-dwell intrusions,requires a layered cyber security framework and trains crew and staff to spot phishing and social engineering tactics. It also implements strict access control and multi-factor authentication, and deploys email and endpoint security solutions and performs cyber maturity assessments to uncover hidden vulnerabilities.

SmartSea | Cruise Industry News | Ship Mgt Intl | CyberExperts | Newsbreak

Image: Unsplash

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