Overview

• Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi issued the warning in an opening address at a Navy-organised seminar in New Delhi on the national security implications of cyberattacks on the maritime sector.
• He cited the 2024 Maritime Cybersecurity Report noting more than 1,800 vessels targeted and 178 ransomware cases, with global telemetry tracking tens of billions of firewall events.
• Recent disruptions referenced included the 2021 Suez Canal blockage, the November 2023 DP World Australia attack, and targeting of Iran’s shipping network by the Lab Dookhtegan group.
• Tripathi framed cyber strikes on ports and vessels as blows to the arteries of the global economy, stressing India’s exposure given 12 major ports, over 200 non-major ports, and an 11,000 km coastline.
• Participants flagged fragmented oversight and backed faster information sharing, with CERT-In’s chief urging swift launch of a dedicated Maritime CERT whose framework is drafted and awaiting adoption.