Fleet Management to roll-out cyber security on more than 200 vessels

Third-party ship management specialists Fleet Management Ltd have inked a contract with class society ABS to implement cyber security across a fleet of liquid cargo carriers.

US-based ABS announced the agreement, which will see 220 of Fleet Management’s tankers undergo ABS’ cyber risk assessment and increased security measures.

ABS Advanced Solutions vice president Russell Medeiros said “Working together, we will provide a comprehensive cyber security solution to assist in ensuring compliance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as well as additional cyber-security related guidelines and requirements – creating a safer fleet.”

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IMO requires cyber security to be addressed in ship Safety Management Systems by January 2021; TMSA3, SIRE, BIMCO, IACS and Rightship have all specified additional industry guidelines and commercial requirements. ABS said its model supports compliance with all of these requirements.

ABS developed its FCI cyber risk model during a two-year research contract with the Maritime Security Center – part of the US Department of Homeland Security. Launched in June 2018, the ABS FCI cyber risk approach quantifies cyber security risk and gives owners and operators a practical, actionable strategy to reduce cyber risk onboard a vessel. ABS also offers services in support of its assessment.

“The ABS FCI cyber risk model calculates a cyber risk score and demonstrates how specific FCI (functions, connections and identities) alterations reduce the level of risk,” Mr Medeiros said.

Using its model, ABS calculates a cyber risk index for a client’s individual assets or entire fleets. From the risk index, an actionable report details precisely how to reduce cyber risk, which allows clients to target cyber security investments across their assets.

The quantifiable and calculable method evaluates not only the operational systems and connections of a vessel, but also the human and machine identities, clearly enumerating the level of cyber risk exposure.