Launch of exciting new Maritime Cybersecurity Body is making waves

TLDR:

IMCSO launched to raise maritime cybersecurity standards by recognizing certifications, maintaining register of service suppliers, profiling vessels, and charting cyber trends. IMCSO aims to simplify risk assessment process and provide accurate information for third parties to determine risk. Industry leaders express support for IMCSO’s efforts to streamline cybersecurity testing and compliance with IMO mandates.

New Maritime Cybersecurity Body Launched

As digital technologies continue to permeate the international shipping industry, a newly launched organization called the International Maritime Cyber Security Organization (IMCSO) aims to raise the standard of cybersecurity risk assessment across the maritime sector. The IMCSO will recognize appropriate cybersecurity professional certifications as well as offer certification for maritime-specific knowledge. In addition, the body will maintain a register of maritime cybersecurity service suppliers, detailing the qualifications and expertise of those working for them. The IMCSO also catalogs risk reports and makes the results available to selected parties to profile vessels as well as using the dataset to chart cyber trends.

Campbell Murray, CEO at the IMCSO, highlighted the need for standardized cybersecurity assessments in the maritime industry due to the rising importance of cybersecurity mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The IMCSO aims to address issues related to variable assessment methodologies, unnecessary complexity, overheads, and delays in cybersecurity risk assessment by equipping the security industry to conduct tests in a uniform manner.

Industry leaders, such as Captain Kaela Bermeister and Caroline Yang, President of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), have expressed support for the IMCSO’s goals of simplifying the risk assessment process, providing accurate information for third parties to determine risk, and enabling more efficient compliance with IMO mandates. The efforts of IMCSO are expected to streamline cybersecurity testing and compliance processes, making it easier for maritime companies to select cybersecurity testers with the required expertise and ensuring the sector’s resilience against cyber threats.