PONDICHERRY MARITIME ACADEMY

How do IT and OT Cyber security Differ? Operational technology (OT) is hardware and software that detects or causes a change through the direct monitoring and control of industrial equipment, assets, processes, and events. In contrast, information technology covers the entire spectrum of technologies for information processing, including software, hardware, communications technologies, and related services related services. Before we delve into the cyber security challenges affecting the maritime industry, let’s take a step back and examine some of the differences between IT and OT systems. Some of the differences in system requirements include: Differences in System Requirements IT System Requirements OT System Requirements Performance Non-real-time Response must be consistent Less critical emergency interaction Tightly restricted access control can be implemented to the degree necessary for security Real-time Response

Maritime is one of the oldest industries and lifeblood of the global economy, accounting for the carriage of 90% of world trade. Ships and other vessels may seem like unusual targets for cyberattacks. But with their growing use of industrial control systems (ICS) and satellite communications, hackers have a new playground that’s ripe for attack. In a 2020 Safety at Sea and BIMCO Maritime Cyber Security survey, despite the majority of respondents (77%) viewing cyber-attacks as a high or medium risk to their organizations, few appear to be prepared for the aftermath of such an attack, 64% of respondents said their organization has a business continuity plan in place to follow in the event of a cyber incident, but only 24% claimed it was tested every three months, and only 15% said that it was tested every six to 12 months. Only 42% of respondents said that their organization protects vessels from operational technology (OT) cyber threats, and some respondents went so far as to describe