This move was made to address the threat of ransomware and other computer system breaches that could severely affect the safety of ships’ crew, systems and operations, the company said.
The IMO recently announced that it will soon be mandatory for companies to ensure that cyber security procedures are properly addressed in their Safety Management Systems (SMS).
To create the training programme, KVH Videotel partnered with BIMCO, which has recently been active in researching maritime cyber security. For example, BIMCO published guidelines in 2016 that have become an industry reference on the subject, and released an updated version in July of this year.
The main topics covered in the new ‘Cyber Security at Sea’ training programme are:
-
The nature of cyber security threats.
-
How to assess the risks to the ship’s IT and OT (operational technology).
-
How the risks to individuals and ships can be reduced.
-
How to respond to a cyber security breach or attack.
“A cyber-attack can severely impact and impair vessel performance,” said Mark Woodhead, KVH senior vice president, EMEA. “Many cyber incidents on board are triggered accidentally by seafarers opening phishing email attachments or hyperlinks, or using infected removable media, so this training programme explores how to minimise these risks by making personnel more aware of the types of malware.”
The programme is available from KVH Videotel in many formats, including Videotel on Demand (VOD) and computer-based training (CBT).