Code of Practice: Cyber Security for Ships

The maritime sector is a vital part of the economy but with the increasing complexity of ships, their security is becoming a greater issue. Poor security can lead to a significant loss of customer or industry confidence especially where safety issues or financial losses are involved.

To help senior shipping personnel who have responsibility for the onboard security of a range of ship’s systems, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (the IET) have worked in close association with the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to produce this new code of practice.

This document provides actionable good practice advice on areas such as:

• developing a Cyber Security Assessment and Plan
• devising the most appropriate mitigation measures
• having the correct structures, roles, responsibilities and processes in place
• handling security breaches and incidents
• highlighting the key national and international standards and regulations that also need to be reviewed and followed.

This new code will be of real value to all those responsible for ship security and business continuity and can be used as an integral part of an organisation’s overall risk management system.