Maritime Cyber Security Event

In what is believed to be the first such public event to be held on this topic, CCICADA and AMU will host a learning seminar (March 2, 2015) and symposium (March 3, 2015) on the emerging issue of maritime cyber security. This two-day event will be held at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. We invite members of the Homeland Security Enterprise, the news media, and the public at large to attend.

A recent demonstration showed how a potential adversary could remotely take control of a vessel by spoofing its GPS. Hackers recently shut down a floating oil rig by tilting it; another rig was so riddled with computer malware that it took 19 days to make it seaworthy again. Somali pirates may be selecting their targets by viewing navigational data online or intercepting live AIS broadcasts, prompting ships to either turn off their navigational devices, or fake the data so it looks like they’re somewhere else. Flaws have been found in electronic positioning software that would allow an attacker to access and modify files and charts on board a ship or on shore. This could compromise ship navigation and lead to serious environmental and financial damage, even loss of life. Easily available jammers could close down a port at a cost of more than $1 billion per day.

Learning Seminar, March 2

The two-day event will begin on Monday, March 2, with an Executive Overview/Learning Seminar, which will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. This will be followed by a reception and dinner from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. 

Symposium, March 3

The symposium will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, and continue until 5:20 p.m. Lunch will be provided. During the symposium, featured speakers and five groups of panelists will present and discuss maritime cybersecurity risks, threats, counter measures and education/training in-depth.