(LONDON) — Inmarsat, a world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has won the Safety at Sea Award 2019 for Best Security Product of the Year after recognition by a panel of judges from shipowner, marine insurance, maritime education, classification, crewing and training organizations.
The award was collected by Inmarsat Senior Vice President, Safety and Security, Peter Broadhurst, at a ceremony at the Marriott hotel in Grosvenor Square staged during London International Shipping Week 2019. It recognizes the contribution to maritime security made by Fleet Secure Endpoint, a key element in Inmarsat’s Fleet Secure portfolio of solutions to guard against ever increasing cyberthreats.
“The Safety at Sea Awards consistently recognize improvements in maritime safety, security, training and seafarer well-being, celebrating the organizations and individuals who make positive contributions to protecting lives and working conditions at sea,” Broadhurst said. “We are delighted that Fleet Secure Endpoint working on the Fleet Xpress platform has been recognized as 2019’s product or service best demonstrating innovation, originality and the potential to improve security on board ship, online and on shore.”
The transformation triggered by digitalization brought with it the need to protect ships and shipping against cyberattacks that could compromise reputations, profits and safety, said Broadhurst.
“The Fleet Secure Portfolio encompasses security measures to protect the user and systems on shore and onboard by inspecting, detecting and responding to any malicious activity so that the seafarer can focus their attention on their day job,” he said.
Addressing a key vulnerability of ships at sea, Fleet Secure Endpoint had been developed with ESET (essential security against evolving threats) to detect and isolate threats introduced by unauthorized or infected devices.
“Fleet Secure Endpoint provides the local protection on board, taking action when the portal reports a ‘rogue node,'” said Broadhurst. “This could be a potential attacker or even a new crew device which has no security installed.”
Fleet Secure Endpoint will also support ship owners in their efforts to comply with International Safety Management (ISM) code revisions due in force from Jan. 1, 2021.
“In practice, ISM code revisions will mean that, to comply, ships must be able to demonstrate what assets, personnel and procedures are in place onboard and ashore to deal with a cyber-risks issue, what happens if systems are compromised and who has control,” said Broadhurst. “Compliance depends on having the right risk management, infrastructure and procedures in place. Fleet Secure Endpoint offers a scanning and record-keeping tool to document the efforts made to follow guidelines developed by industry organizations such as BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping and Intermanager.”
