A new report by DNV reveals that the majority (61%) of maritime professionals believe the industry should accept increased cyber risk from digitalization if it enables innovation and new technologies.According to the Maritime Cyber Priority 2024/2025 report, the sector’s appetite to take on emerging risks arising from digital transformation is notably higher than other critical infrastructure industries including energy, manufacturing and healthcare. However, the industry’s increasing appetite for cyber risk comes at a time when it must manage a growing volume of vulnerabilities.Seven in 10 (71%) of the almost 500 maritime professionals surveyed by DNV believe their organizations’ industrial assets are more vulnerable to cyber-attacks than ever before, while the same proportion (71%) say the leaders of their organizations consider cyber security to be the greatest risk their business faces.Four key challenges for the sector:
… said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO Maritime at DNVWhile interconnectivity and new technologies bring opportunities, they also make the industry more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Maritime professionals are confident the industry is managing the risk. More than eight in 10 (83%) say their organization has a good cyber security posture, and seven in 10 (71%) are confident their organization would quickly get back to business as normal following a cyber-attack.Increasing cybersecurity spendingContributing to this confidence, almost three quarters of maritime professionals (73%) report that their organization is increasing cybersecurity spending compared to last year. A majority say their organization has prepared against potential outcomes such as asset downtime and disruption to operations, theft of sensitive data, physical injury or loss of life, and a grounded vessel.Signs of a false sense of securityWhile industry awareness of cyber risk and cybersecurity investment have grown rapidly, there are signs of a false sense of security within the maritime industry. Only half (53%) of those surveyed are confident their organization can demonstrate full visibility of supply chain vulnerabilities, a concern given the recent rise in cyber-attacks targeting supply chains.OT security versus IT securityAdditionally, 68% believe their organization’s IT security is stronger than its operational technology (OT) security – which is linked to physical assets like sensors, programmable logic controllers (PLC), and enables automation, safety, and navigation systems. Some 76% say that the cyber security training that their organization provides is not advanced enough to protect against sophisticated threats.Organizations may feel they are prepared as more resources are being deployed to manage cyber risk, but the reality is more complex than that. Businesses have a sophisticated adversary to contend with, which complicates the picture significantly. We need to protect both IT and OT, and be ready to respond should an attack be successful.
… said Svante Einarsson, Head of Maritime Cybersecurity at DNV Cyber.Heightened concerns among maritime professionalsConcerns are heightened among maritime professionals due to geopolitical tensions but also because of growing criminal activity. One notable trend is the increase in concern related to criminal gangs that have identified the huge profit potential from ransomware attacks: 79% of maritime professionals are concerned about this risk vector, up from 56% in 2023.The vast majority of maritime professionals (95%) call for more collaboration on cybersecurity among organizations within critical infrastructure industries.
- Ensure access to experienced resources that know how to build and implement cyber security resilience in the design of new systems and vessels
- Enhance detection and response capabilities to minimize the consequences of marine operational technology (OT) systems
- Assign clear roles, responsibilities and resources to handle OT cyber security in a continuous manner onboard and onshore
- Secure the many interdependencies and components in complex supply chain
… said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO Maritime at DNVWhile interconnectivity and new technologies bring opportunities, they also make the industry more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Maritime professionals are confident the industry is managing the risk. More than eight in 10 (83%) say their organization has a good cyber security posture, and seven in 10 (71%) are confident their organization would quickly get back to business as normal following a cyber-attack.Increasing cybersecurity spendingContributing to this confidence, almost three quarters of maritime professionals (73%) report that their organization is increasing cybersecurity spending compared to last year. A majority say their organization has prepared against potential outcomes such as asset downtime and disruption to operations, theft of sensitive data, physical injury or loss of life, and a grounded vessel.Signs of a false sense of securityWhile industry awareness of cyber risk and cybersecurity investment have grown rapidly, there are signs of a false sense of security within the maritime industry. Only half (53%) of those surveyed are confident their organization can demonstrate full visibility of supply chain vulnerabilities, a concern given the recent rise in cyber-attacks targeting supply chains.OT security versus IT securityAdditionally, 68% believe their organization’s IT security is stronger than its operational technology (OT) security – which is linked to physical assets like sensors, programmable logic controllers (PLC), and enables automation, safety, and navigation systems. Some 76% say that the cyber security training that their organization provides is not advanced enough to protect against sophisticated threats.Organizations may feel they are prepared as more resources are being deployed to manage cyber risk, but the reality is more complex than that. Businesses have a sophisticated adversary to contend with, which complicates the picture significantly. We need to protect both IT and OT, and be ready to respond should an attack be successful.
… said Svante Einarsson, Head of Maritime Cybersecurity at DNV Cyber.Heightened concerns among maritime professionalsConcerns are heightened among maritime professionals due to geopolitical tensions but also because of growing criminal activity. One notable trend is the increase in concern related to criminal gangs that have identified the huge profit potential from ransomware attacks: 79% of maritime professionals are concerned about this risk vector, up from 56% in 2023.The vast majority of maritime professionals (95%) call for more collaboration on cybersecurity among organizations within critical infrastructure industries.