Written by Capt. Andrew Tucci, chief of the Coast Guard’s Office of Port and Facilities Compliance

Cyber-based systems are an increasing part of the marine transportation system, performing vital safety, security and environmental functions both ashore and afloat. As announced in January, the Coast Guard is developing policies to help waterfront facilities and vessels identify and address cyber risks.

As we develop our policies, we are working closely with other organizations in industry, government and academia. Interagency cooperation is important because it allows us to learn from the best practices of others, and to dovetail our efforts to avoid conflicts or duplication of efforts. A recent example of this cooperation is with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. BSSE and the Coast Guard have shared responsibilities to manage cyber and other risks in the offshore environment, and we are glad to work together on this effort.

Cyber risks have no magic bullet, but a collaborative effort among stakeholders will yield the most effective and efficient results. The Coast Guard encourages the maritime industry to use resources such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology Framework, U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, and Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team to manage cyber risks. The Cybersecurity tab on Homeport also includes an extensive list of cyber related information and resources.

For further information, read BSEE’s recent article, “BSEE and Coast Guard Officials Meet to Discuss Maritime Cyber Risk Management.”

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.