Inmarsat report guides superyachts to cyber security compliance
Inmarsat has released a free report covering new International Maritime Organization (IMO) obligations and what they mean for yachting professionals. The obligations enter into force in 2022 and the report aims to help owners, managers and captains work to protect their superyacht’s cyber security and remain complaint.
Cyber Security Requirements for IMO 2021 offers examples of real cyber attacks on vessels, providing a guide to the criteria for compliance. By IMO resolution, superyacht Safety Management Systems must be documented as including cyber risk management under the International Safety Management Code no later than the first annual audit after January 1st 2021.
“As the superyacht fleet heads towards a new regime on cyber security, this is a significant publication for anyone investigating the fast-evolving threats facing yachts at sea,” said Peter Broadhurst, senior vice president, Safety, Security, Yachting and Passenger, Inmarsat Maritime.
“Anyone wanting to know what the new IMO rules mean and the viable solutions already available to support towards compliance can’t afford to miss Cyber Security Requirements for IMO 2021,” he added.
The 40-page report cites the 2020 Inmarsat Superyacht Connectivity Report, which revealed that 40% of superyacht professionals surveyed still do not know the difference between anti-virus software and network endpoint security. It also highlights the way threats continue to adapt and evolve, reporting a fourfold increase in cyber attacks on maritime targets. Inmarsat said this rise coincides with the industry’s move to home-based working through the Covid-19 pandemic.