The following is the text of a news release from Fidra Films:
(LONDON) — The global maritime cybersecurity awareness campaign Be Cyber Aware at Sea has collaborated with Fidra Films to launch a new film which aims to highlight the vital and increasing importance of cybersecurity across the maritime industry. NSSLGlobal, a global maritime satellite communications provider, has co-funded the film in partnership with Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), The Standard Club and Teekay Shipping.
Designed not only for seafarers but also across the maritime industry, the film uses real-life case studies to highlight how easy it is for cybercriminals to target individual employees, who are often the weakest link in the security chain. Ninety-nine percent of cyberattacks target people rather than IT infrastructure.
The film’s content has been created to be both educational and entertaining and easily shared via social media to help the message spread wider throughout the industry. It features multiple tips to help employees avoid being an easy target for cybercriminals.
Many people still fail to spot the signs of simple phishing emails and accidentally give away personal and company information to hackers via email or social media postings. Even something as simple as charging a smartphone to the USB socket on the ECDIS terminal could allow hackers to gain access to a vessels IT network, potentially affecting the vessel’s ability to safely navigate.
Sally-Anne Ray, CEO of NSSLGlobal, said, “The launch of this film is extremely timely. It follows the recent reports of the global Petya ransomware cyberattack, which hit global shipping giant Maersk, to cause one of the biggest ever disruptions to global shipping. No one is immune from the cyberthreat and this film is an important initiative to not only raise awareness of the risks, but to help protect the industry from attack.”
Chris Young, executive producer at Fidra Films, said, “It is great to see the maritime industry coming together to tackle cybersecurity. All the feedback so far has been very positive and it is our hope that the film reaches as wide an audience as possible.”
Andrew Cassels, director of OCIMF, said, “This film starts to tackle the most vulnerable element of cyberprotection, the human element. Educating our mariners is the first line of defense; they all work in social media with ease but need to understand how innocent actions can cause harm to wider networks and systems. Wide distribution of this film and the supporting material will start to prepare industry for the cyber challenges ahead.”
Multiple partners have come together to help Fidra develop the content of this vital educational initiative, including JWC International, the CSOA, the City of Glasgow College and Samskip.
Capt. Yves Vandenborn, director of loss prevention at The Standard Club, said, “We are proud to have worked together with Chris and the other partners on the production of this cyberawareness video. Given the potential catastrophic consequences, we cannot stress enough the importance for shipowners and operators to take adequate measures to prevent cyberattacks. We
trust this video will be well received by the industry and will aid in raising awareness among seafarers and shore staff alike.”
The video is available on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfEiMj7wAi4&feature=youtu.be
More information is available here: http://www.fidrafilms.com/cyber
Full licensing details are available here: http://www.fidrafilms.com/licensing
The Be Cyber Aware At Sea campaign website is here: https://www.becyberawareatsea.com/
