There needs to be more local research into marine cybersecurity in South Africa according to South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) CEO, Malek Pourzanjani.
“In marine parlance we have the perfect storm – the trend is towards increased digitisation of vessels and communications. With 90% of all freight being transported by sea at one point or another, the maritime industry is a natural target for well-financed international cyber-criminal gangs,” he said.
Pourzanjani noted that information technology experts had been warning that shipping and related industries would be targets of cyber-attacks for some time.
“The very real dangers of cyber-attacks on the maritime industry were demonstrated in June this year when operations in 17 port terminals operated by Maersk around the world were affected by malware,” he added.
Pourzanjani pointed out that SA ports, vessels operating out of SA harbours and supporting landside logistics networks needed to be protected against cyber threats.
He highlighted that solutions developed for South Africa should be more suited to other African countries rather than those developed for industrialised nations and that the country could even take the lead in a specific maritime cybersecurity sector.
SAIMI will be supporting masters and PhD students in obtaining the funding needed for research into maritime cybersecurity.
