###### Abstract  
Technological developments within the maritime sector are resulting in rapid progress that will see the commercial use of autonomous vessels, known as Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASSs). Such ships are equipped with a range of advanced technologies, such as IoT devices, artificial intelligence (AI) systems, machine learning (ML)-based algorithms, and augmented reality (AR) tools. Through such technologies, the autonomous vessels can be remotely controlled from Shore Control Centres (SCCs) by using real-time data to optimise their operations, enhance safety, and reduce the possibility of human error. Apart from the regulatory aspects, which are under definition by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), cybersecurity vulnerabilities must be considered and properly addressed to prevent such complex systems from being tampered with. This paper proposes an approach that operates on two different levels to address cybersecurity. On one side, our solution is intended to secure communication channels between the SCCs and the vessels using Secure Exchange and COMmunication (SECOM) standard; on the other side, it aims to secure the underlying digital infrastructure in charge of data collection, storage and processing by relying on a set of machine learning (ML) algorithms for anomaly and intrusion detection. The proposed approach is validated against a real implementation of the SCC deployed in the Livormo seaport premises. Finally, the experimental results and the performance evaluation are provided to assess its effectiveness accordingly. M 2024 20 September 2024 11 October 2024  
* Degree 4: Fully autonomous ship. The ship's operating system can make decisions and determine actions by itself without human intervention. Depending on the degree of autonomy, autonomous ships can offer considerable benefits in terms of safety, efficiency, and improved operation. However, as a novel presence in the global maritime industry (Degree 3 and Degree 4 are not expected until the 2030s and 2040s), they face significant cybersecurity issues. Addressing potential vulnerabilities to cyberattacks and ensuring that robust cybersecurity measures are in place is important to prevent any unauthorised access or manipulation of the ship's systems. The cyberattack surface of autonomous vessels is closely related to the level of autonomy, since the attack surface may vary with the complexity of the number of systems to control and monitor the vessels. Although the cyberattack surface is not well-defined yet, it might consist of attacks aiming at intercepting and manipulating communications or on-board IoT devices, attacks on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems (on-board or remote), attacks on AI/ML-based systems used for autonomous operations, or even physical attacks aiming at taking control of the uncrewed vessel. In this paper, we address the security of the digital infrastructure used for enabling autonomous shipping functionalities by considering all the components of this kind of system, that is the ship, the Remote Operations Centre (ROC), and the communication channel between the first two elements. In this perspective, we addressed the security of the system by focusing on two aspects. On one side, we proposed an approach to secure the communication channel between the Shore Control Centre and the vessel, relying on IEC 63173-2 Secure Exchange and COMmunication (SECOM) standard [2] by implementing cryptography techniques, including a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and key exchange mechanisms. For autonomous vessels more than conventionally manned ships, efficient and secure ship-to-shore communication is a key aspect for safe operations. The SECOM protocol ensures end-to-end data integrity, data confidentiality, and authentication processes. On the other side, we secured the digital infrastructure on the shore, deployed in the Livorno seaport, which is responsible for hosting and running the SCC applications and data collection, storage, and processing.