BIMCO issues cyber security guidance

The second edition of BIMCO’s ‘Guidelines on Cyber Security Onboard Ships’ issues guidance on insurance and how to handle cyber security during port calls.

In the light of recent events, it’s urging everyone across the industry to download the guidance (http://bit.ly/2tmwGZ3) and to consider the risk cybercrime may pose to their ships and operations.

“Cyber security is certainly a hot topic for all of us now and this latest guidance includes valuable information, applying a risk based approach to all of the areas of concern, highlighting how an individual’s unwitting actions might expose their organisation,” said Angus Frew, BIMCO Secretary General and CEO.

This latest practical advice has been compiled by the joint industry group, which is led by BIMCO and now includes new members OCIMF and IUMI, as well as the original contributors CLIA, ICS, INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO.

The guidance has been aligned with the recommendations given in the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Guidelines on cyber risk management which were adopted in June 2017.

In these guidelines, a new subchapter on insurance has been added, looking at coverage after a cyber incident, an important part of the risk assessment which shipowners should take into consideration.

The chapters on ‘contingency planning’ and ‘responding to and recovering from cyber incidents’ have been rewritten to reflect the fact that the guidelines are aimed specifically at ships and the remote conditions prevailing if a ship’s defences have been breached.