On 16 January the Danish Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs launched a new sectoral strategy for the shipping industry. This strategy is a part of the Danish government’s national strategy for cyber and information security.
The strategy contains a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening IT security and preventing cyber threats in the maritime sector.
The objective of the strategy is to ensure that safety in Danish waters and on board Danish ships is not compromised by cyber attacks.
The responsibility for cyber and information security in the maritime sector lies with the Danish Maritime Authority. The new strategy covers navigational safety in Danish waters and safety on board Danish ships, including systems and software for operation, propulsion and navigation of the ship.
In addition, services such as traffic monitoring, warning and information systems, as well as other systems with a connection to the ship's safe navigation, are included.
It is reported that the Danish Maritime Authority has established a dedicated Danish Maritime Cybersecurity Unit, which is to handle implementation of the strategy in practice.
It is understood that the strategy’s initiatives are:
- Establishment of the Danish Maritime Cybersecurity Unit
- EU and International law
- Single point of contact between maritime operators and the Centre for Cyber Security (CFCS)
- Secondment of Danish Maritime Authority employee at the CFCS
- Increased awareness through collaboration and knowledge sharing in the maritime sector
- Specific objectives and user-friendly recommendations for the maritime sector’s players
- IT security culture and awareness
- Focus on standardized processes in relation to cyber and information security management
- Sustained and robust cyber and information security preparedness in the maritime sector
- Joint contingency and warning plan for handling IT security incidents
- Planning and implementing of common cyber and information security exercises
A link to the Cyber and Information Security Strategy for the Maritime Sector can be found here: https://www.dma.dk/Documents/Publikationer/Cyber%20and%20Information%20Security%20Strategy%20for%20the%20Maritime%20Sector.pdf
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Sadly, the ICS Annual General Meeting was overshadowed by the attacks against two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and the very serious threat this presents to the lives of seafarers and maritime trade.
Action on CO2 Reduction
ICS agreed a suite of actions in support of the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) strategy to decarbonise international shipping in line with the United Nations 1.5 degree climate change goal.
Speaking from the Faroe Islands, ICS Chairman, Esben Poulsson (illustrated) said: ‘It is imperative that IMO Member States adopt a new global regulation to mandate further short term CO2 reduction measures at the next session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee in 2020. This should deliver further CO2 reductions by 2023 to help us meet the IMO target set for 2030. We will work with a broad coalition of governments to produce a comprehensive proposal that can be submitted to IMO in September this year.’
Pan-European multimodal service provider Samskip have indicated experience gained up to 31 March 2019 find it fully prepared for a North Sea container traffic surge, as attitudes harden in the run up to October’s revised UK Brexit deadline. (An illustration of Samskip’s traffic is provided here with thanks ©)
Europe’s largest multimodal transport group by freight volume reports that it expects UK exporters and importers to start switching away from trailers and towards containerisation, repeating a trend established in the run-up to the original deadline for Brexit of 31 March this year.
David Besseling, Samskip UK Trade Manager commented: ‘We saw a significant push in container volumes up to March 2019, especially into Hull, as decision-makers facing uncertainty opted for the reliability and proven procedures of container shipping. Concerns over supply chain security are fast re-emerging.’
Besseling reflected that stockpiling contributed to the earlier traffic surge, but added that the experience also confirmed robustness in new Hull-Ghent and Hull-Amsterdam links established by Samskip at the end of 2018. The services add to existing high-frequency connections between Rotterdam, Tilbury, Hull and Grangemouth.
