President Donald Trump has issued a national plan that seeks to combine cybersecurity resources and initiatives to protect the maritime transportation system from cyber threats and other vulnerabilities.
The National Maritime Cybersecurity Plan recommends ways how the U.S. government will defend the country’s economy “through enhanced cybersecurity coordination, policies and practices, aimed at mitigating risks to the maritime sub-sector, promoting prosperity through information and intelligence sharing, and preserving and increasing the nation’s cyber workforce,” National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said in a statement published Tuesday.
O’Brien noted the plan establishes priority actions to address cyber vulnerabilities and gaps in the maritime transportation system over the next five years.
To mitigate risks to the MTS subsector, the plan’s priority actions include the development of risk modeling to inform maritime cyber standards and best practices and efforts to strengthen cybersecurity requirements in port services contracts and leasing.
The document calls for an exchange of information between the U.S. government and the maritime industry, sharing of cyber intelligence with appropriate nongovernment entities and prioritization of maritime cyber intelligence collection.
To create a maritime cybersecurity workforce, priority measures include the development of cyber specialists in port and vessel systems and collaboration with the private sector to increase maritime cybersecurity expertise.
