# Assessing Cyber Challenges of Maritime Navigation
## 4 Discussion  
Analyzing available resources, we may summarize that there are severe consequences posed by cybersecurity risks, ranging from ship accidents caused by hacking e-Navigation to massive operational and economic disruption, to a port or shipping companies' activities and business. Cybercrime is a growing threat to the shipping industry that may have severe repercussions, as the Maersk, COSCO, Austal, Carnival, and other incidents have demonstrated. The present security situation in regard to hybrid threats further exposes the risk. As per BIMCO [78], it is not a question of whether an organization will be affected by a cybersecurity incident, but of when. Perhaps the organization has already been affected without knowing it. It is the connectedness of multiple and diverse systems that exacerbates the cyber risks, and connectivity will only continue to increase--e.g., with the introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G in the maritime domain [59; 67; 132]. Therefore, maintaining the operational safety of these systems is of paramount importance. There continue to be numerous advancements in the field of hardware and software network security with which cyber administrators need to keep up. Though with the increased demand of the internet, it is only going to become more difficult; therefore, IT managers of maritime specialty may become necessities. The maritime sector has always focused on safety and security issues, such as aspects of seafarer safety, transport, and cargo security. Now, the essence of navigational safety and maritime security include building a significant security culture which needs to be developed even further to include the cyber and information security domain, _maritime cybersecurity_. Maritime cybersecurity includes people, technologies, and processes capable of preventing cyber and information security breaches [73]. [PERSON] et al. [6] and [PERSON] et al. [133] note that maritime cybersecurity can be understood as a part of maritime security concerned with the protection from cyber threats of all aspects of maritime cyber systems that should include _technology, information_, and the _human_ factor to understand and mitigate cyberattacks. [PERSON] et al. [59] mention the new concept of 'cyber seaworthiness' recently introduced in the shipping insurance industry. Following the BIMCO 2020 survey [78], we found that there is room for improvement in regard to the _human_ factor in maritime cybersecurity training that is seen by many as the first line of defense against the most common cyber incidents. The survey is quite encouraging, as 88% of respondents indicated that their company offers some sort of cybersecurity training; however, improvement is necessary, as only 22% of respondents received high-quality training. A 2020 ECSO report estimates that the maritime industry lacks 50,000 to 100,000 trained people in the cyber field [59]. It is a fact that cybersecurity training and awareness are paramount to the maritime industry. People need to be aware of the threats they encounter, not only on work IT systems but to their private devices as well. Training courses, refreshers, and adequate software protection should be offered and modified to fit the crews' needs. The crew on the ships might rotate quite often, meaning that seafarers potentially often use systems they are unfamiliar with, which might increase the potential for human error. It was noted, concerning _technology_ and _information_, that a shift in mind-set is essential to direct more attention and resources toward cybersecurity [134; 135; 136]. In the event of the worst scenario, appropriate contingency plans should be in place. Such plans should also include the use of alternative modes to ensure safe and reliable operations in the cyber non-secure environment [75; 137]. Manufacters should also improve the cybersecurity of their products, not leaving critical shipping systems vulnerable to cybercriminals [60].