Authorities in Europe and the US are beginning to recognize that shipping ports are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. The systems used to monitor the movements of containers from ships to trucks can be hacked, either for criminal or other nefarious purposes, according to recent reports.
Failures in these IT systems could disrupt operations at U.S. shipping ports, which handle more than $1.3 trillion in cargo annually, according to a June 2014 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
The GAO recommended that the sector conduct a comprehensive risk assessment which is usually the first step in mitigating potential cyberattacks. So far, the Department of Homeland Security has taken limited actions to beef up cybersecurity at maritime ports, largely, officials told the GAO, because they have only recently recognized the severity of cyber-related threats.
The GAO says the dependence of ports on information technology is increasing at the same time that cybercriminals and other groups are becoming more sophisticated. For example, the report notes an incident in 2013 where criminals allegedly hacked into IT systems at the Belgian port of Antwerp which enabled them to smuggle drugs into the country, one of the first known incidents of hackers infiltrating port IT systems.
In compiling the report, government auditors visited three high-risk domestic ports to identify the types of technologies used and examine security plans.
In the shipment of containers, for example, a terminal operating system is used by a port authority to control container movements and storage while containers are in its possession. In addition, business operations systems such as email, file servers and network equipment are used to communicate with customers. These systems are at risk of a cyberattack, the report said.
EU-Digest
Failures in these IT systems could disrupt operations at U.S. shipping ports, which handle more than $1.3 trillion in cargo annually, according to a June 2014 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
The GAO recommended that the sector conduct a comprehensive risk assessment which is usually the first step in mitigating potential cyberattacks. So far, the Department of Homeland Security has taken limited actions to beef up cybersecurity at maritime ports, largely, officials told the GAO, because they have only recently recognized the severity of cyber-related threats.
The GAO says the dependence of ports on information technology is increasing at the same time that cybercriminals and other groups are becoming more sophisticated. For example, the report notes an incident in 2013 where criminals allegedly hacked into IT systems at the Belgian port of Antwerp which enabled them to smuggle drugs into the country, one of the first known incidents of hackers infiltrating port IT systems.
In compiling the report, government auditors visited three high-risk domestic ports to identify the types of technologies used and examine security plans.
In the shipment of containers, for example, a terminal operating system is used by a port authority to control container movements and storage while containers are in its possession. In addition, business operations systems such as email, file servers and network equipment are used to communicate with customers. These systems are at risk of a cyberattack, the report said.
EU-Digest
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