PONDICHERRY MARITIME ACADEMY

Marine propulsion systems are incredibly complex units that have to function efficiently and smoothly without fail. Unlike car engines that can take some wear and tear, along with occasional breakdowns, marine engines must keep performing without any issue. It cannot afford to a breakdown in the middle of a voyage, since the nearest source of aid might be thousands of kilometres (technically, nautical miles) away. Thus, to keep the propulsion systems functioning effectively, a combination of sub-systems and integral machine parts are required to work in a synchronized manner. Should even one component give out, the entire engine might face catastrophic failure that could have far-reaching consequences on the safety of crew members and passengers. One highly probable reason for an engine to malfunction could be the buildup of fumes within the system. These fumes are generated during the normal functioning of the engine when fuel is ignited within the engine cylinders. Marine E...

Differences between IT and OT systems Whereas IT systems manage data and support business functions, OT is the hardware and software that directly monitors/controls physical devices and processes and as such are an integral part of the ship and must function independently of the IT systems onboard. The systems can, however, be connected to the IT network for performance monitoring, remote support etc. Such systems are sometimes referred to as belonging to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT). There may be important differences between who handles the purchase and management of the OT systems versus IT systems on a ship. IT managers are not usually involved in the purchase of OT systems and may or may not have a thorough understanding of cyber security. The purchase of such systems should involve someone, who knows about the impact on the onboard systems but will most probably only have limited knowledge of software and cyber risk management. IT covers the spec...