These recommendations are aim at enabling the delivery of cyber resilient ships whose resilience can be maintained throughout their working lives.
They are the result of a long-term initiative from IACS involving cross industry input and support.
IACS initially addressed the subject of software quality with the publication of UR E22 in 2006.
Recognising the huge increase in the use of on board cyber-systems since, IACS has developed a series of recommendations with a view to reflecting the resilience requirements of a ship with many more interdependencies.
As a result, the recommendations address the need for:
- A more complete understanding of the interplay between ship's systems.
- Protection from events beyond software errors.
- In the event that protection failed, the need for an appropriate response and ultimately recovery.
- In order that the appropriate response could be put in place, a means of detection is required.
To set out the recommendations, IACS formed a Joint Working Group (JWG) on cyber systems. A significant part of JWG’s work involved the identifying of best practice and appropriate existing standards in risk and cyber security and identifying a practical risk approach.
IACS Chairman, Jeong-kie Lee of the Korean Register, explained; “These 12 recommendations represent a significant milestone in addressing safety concerns related to cyber issues. IACS focus on Cyber Safety reflects our recognition that cyber systems are now as integral a part of a ship’s safety envelope as its structure and machinery and IACS is committed to providing industry with the necessary tools as part of our wider mission to deliver safer, cleaner, shipping.”
Commenting on the approach, IACS secretary general, Robert Ashdown, explained; “The decision to publish these recommendations as 12 stand-alone documents was made explicitly to give industry stakeholders access to the developing material. IACS continues to make significant efforts to work ever more closely with industry and believes this approach provides the right balance between delivering the detailed guidance that is urgently required while remaining receptive to input from the industry stakeholders via the JWG/CS on how they would like to see IACS proceed.”