In this article Michael DeVolld, Maritime Transportation System (MTS) Cybersecurity Lead at ABS Consulting looks at the potential implications to vessel owners, operators and port authorities impacted by the new directive, the importance of acting now to prepare for the implementation of the regulations and some of the key steps that should be taken.
n February 22, 2024, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register, updating maritime security regulations and introducing new regulations establishing minimum cybersecurity requirements for US-flagged vessels, facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf and US facilities subject to regulations under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002(1).
The USCG’s proposed rule followed an Executive Order from the Biden-Harris Administration(2) that directed it: “to respond to malicious cyber activity in the nation’s Maritime Transportation System (MTS) by requiring vessels and waterfront facilities to mitigate cyber conditions that may endanger the safety of a vessel, facility, or harbor.” The new proposal also mandated the reporting of cyber…
