Safety

Cybersecurity is top priority

Kongsberg Maritime takes the issue of cybersecurity and the safety of vessels and their crews very seriously. Safety is always at the beating heart of everything we do.

  • Text:Global Sales and Marketing

    Photo:©Kongsberg Maritime

  • Craig Taylor
    Senior Manager PR & Communications
    (+44) 774 9584 285

We live in difficult and dangerous times. Many shipping companies and ports have been targeted by online hackers in the past five years, and the results of these criminal actions are often devastating for individuals, businesses and nations. Hackers can cripple global maritime operations, delay the delivery of vital cargo and, in some cases, ships can be sent off course and even run aground.

This is a clear threat to fleet operations and therefore people’s lives and livelihoods, and we will take all necessary steps to stop cyber criminals.

Our determination to keep our customers’ assets and people safe has reached a major milestone as we have completed testing to comply with IACS IEC 62443 – UR E27 Security Level 1 cybersecurity certification. This testing covers a wide range of our digital products, including automation, navigation and Dynamic Positioning (DP) systems.

Passed the test

This wasn’t merely a box-ticking exercise, it was a statement of intent. We started this extensive process in 2022 and it was delivered through third-party, independent verification. This made certain we met all the necessary security, quality, health, safety and environmental standards. In all, 40 requirements had to be met to gain pass marks. 

However, while we passed we won’t rest on our laurels. This is just the beginning of our journey to achieve the very best levels of excellence in cybersecurity throughout our operations worldwide. The project featured a strong sense of collaboration and consensus. We worked closely with Norwegian risk management and maritime safety experts Det Norske Veritas (DNV) to achieve success and adhere to the new cybersecurity requirements which came into effect on July 1, 2024.

Oscar Kallerdahl, Kongsberg Maritime’s Director Cyber Security, Automation & Control, is proud of our achievements to date. He says: “We understand the challenges shipyards and ship owners face in designing and building vessels that must maintain cybersecurity over the 25-year operation of a ship. Our focus was to establish a baseline of cybersecurity for all our digital products supporting yards, owners and operators through the lifetime of the vessel.

“Once it was clear that these new regulations were coming into place, we moved quickly, working closely with DNV to prioritise products for Type Approval certification.”

We expect the majority of our automation and control digital products to receive DNV Type Approval for compliance by the end of August. 

Next steps

The hard work doesn’t stop there. We will expand compliance testing to include integration and energy systems, propulsion and cargo handling products.

The DNV Type Approval certification isn’t just good news for ship owners. It will also benefit shipyards around the world, with certainty our products have already been certified for cybersecurity compliance. This will save time and money during the engineering and testing stages of ship production.

Kallerdahl adds: “We are in a new era of cybersecurity and it’s clear that ship owners will need to be proactive in seeking the most resilient and effective security measures to protect their assets against growing and more hostile cyber threats. 

“It is a priority for us to manage risk for our customers, and this certification sets a baseline for our product teams and their understanding and implementation of the right security features.”

“Cybersecurity is emerging as a key topic in the maritime industry, fundamental to ensure safe shipping”

Jarle Coll Blomhoff, Head of the Digital Ship Systems section at DNV Maritime

“We are pleased to continue our close cooperation with Kongsberg Maritime on cybersecurity, which started when we first developed our initial DNV Cyber Secure rules in 2017. This project demonstrates their ongoing commitment to delivering a full portfolio of systems with a strategic and independently verified approach to cyber risk reduction.”

Kongsberg Maritime’s drive and determination to keep people and vessels safe from harm is something that our customers can rely on and is the driving force behind our daily operations.

Steps to safety

The products in the first phase of the Level 1 cybersecurity certification are:

  • The K-Pos DP system
  • K-Steering
  • K-Chief
  • K-Safe
  • K-Bridge
  • K-Thrust
  • K-IMS
  • The Riser Management System
  • KONGSBERG Remote Services

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