The country's critical maritime industry, which includes waterways, ports, land-side connectivity, and the movement of people and goods to and from the water, is under threat from cyberattacks, an expert told StateScoop.
A successful cyberattack on the United States' complex marine ecosystem could be devastating. More than 75% of U.S. trade depends on the maritime sector, with total economic activity of $5.4 trillion, imports of $1.5 trillion, and more than 30 million jobs. 2023 Report by the Cyberspace Solarium Committee.
“From my perspective, there are two big threats: nation states that insert malware as part of their operational readiness, the environment, and criminals that run ransomware,” said Mark, a senior fellow at the nonprofit think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Montgomery told StateScoop. Recent interviews.
Montgomery said efforts by the U.S. government and industry to protect the industry from such attacks have been slow since the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, which directed the federal Department of Transportation to develop security measures for the nation's maritime facilities and the ships that call at them. He said that
He also said that over the past few years, cybercriminals have increasingly targeted the maritime industry, disrupting port operations and causing economic damage to affected businesses and the global economy.
In 2021, the Port of Houston discovered a breach in its systems and prevented attackers from disrupting operations and corrupting or stealing data. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency testified at a Senate committee hearing that “nation-state actors” were behind the attack.
Colonial Pipeline, the nation's largest fuel pipeline, shut down in 2021 after a ransomware attack. In the end, he paid $4.4 million to the Russian ransomware group responsible.
To strengthen maritime cybersecurity, President Joe Biden signed an executive order in February authorizing the U.S. Coast Guard to respond to cybersecurity incidents. The maritime sector is also required to strengthen digital defenses and report cyber incidents affecting ports and waterways.
However, seven of the largest ports in the United States are located in Houston, California, and Long Beach. Los Angeles; New Jersey and New York; Savannah, Georgia; Tacoma, Washington. Virginia. Oakland and Miami are located in different states and often have different cybersecurity requirements and resources.
As part of the executive order, the Biden administration will invest more than $20 billion in port infrastructure and cybersecurity over the next five years, but the additional funding has not yet been included in the Coast Guard's 2024-2025 budget.
“This executive order gives them more authority to do even more.” [about cybersecurity]But at some point you actually need those resources,” Montgomery said.
The $20 billion is to install new Chinese-made cranes and software, which many experts, including Montgomery, say are particularly vulnerable to cybersecurity risks.
“You always have to wonder about China. When China provides the lowest cost for critical infrastructure and when nations support investment, companies are willing to take risks to our national security for profit. Will you accept it?'' he said.
About 80 percent of the giant cranes used to lift and transport cargo from ships to U.S. docks are made in China and can be controlled remotely. Security experts say the software embedded in these cranes, if hacked, could provide real-time visibility into port operations, giving criminals the ability to track the movement of military equipment and commercial cargo, or worse. concerns that it could disrupt operations at major U.S. ports. port.
CISA, the National Security Agency, and the FBI warned in February that a China-linked hacker group called Bolt Typhoon had successfully targeted critical infrastructure sectors across the United States, including the maritime sector.
Montgomery said the United States may not have the manufacturing capacity to fully replace Chinese cranes, but it can rely on its allies.
“The risks will be reduced by leveraging our allies and partners and people we trust,” he said. “We have gurneys to move things around, we have doors, we have gate systems. There are many ways to remotely interrupt operations and automatic functions.”
Biden's order also requires port and waterway owners and operators to ensure their information and operational technology infrastructure meets cybersecurity standards set by CISA.
Although it is unclear when all provisions of the order will go into effect, Montgomery said the U.S. Coast Guard is not sitting idle.
“The strength of the Coast Guard is a kind of 'can-do attitude' and 'do something with nothing' in terms of resources,” he says. “So they went out and looked for ways to get things done.”
