Overview
- Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi cautioned that vessels, cranes and terminals now operate as floating computer networks, with digitalisation turning seas into data-rich targets.
- Minister of State Jitin Prasada said attacks on Operational Technology, GPS spoofing and ransomware could directly affect national security by disrupting port and shipping operations.
- CERT-In Director General Sanjay Bahl said a Maritime CERT framework has been developed over recent years but still awaits sector adoption, with technical control envisaged under CERT-In and administrative control with the sector.
- Speakers urged cybersecurity-by-design from the earliest stages of port and vessel systems, faster real-time information sharing across agencies, and consideration of a central maritime cyber coordination mechanism.
- Officials cited the 2024 Maritime Cybersecurity Report’s scale of activity—over 50 billion firewall events, 1,800 vessels targeted and 178 ransomware cases—and noted a surge in hostile activity during Operation Sindoor, including the NSE’s record single-day attack volume.