Dive Brief:

• The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) released a new version of its Guidelines for Cyber Security Onboard Ships manual just a week after the Nyetya virus struck Maersk and others, American Shipper reported Thursday. 
• The second edition highlights information regarding insurance and effective segregation of cyber networks.  Managing the ship-to-shore interface, as well as issues of cyber security during port calls is also included, as is communication with the shore side.
• These latest guidelines follow all recommendations adopted in June 2017 by the International Maritime Organization on cyber risk management.

Dive Insight:

Cyber attacks are increasing across the board, whether in the maritime, logistics or pharmaceutical industries. Cyber security is more important than ever, especially in light of reports that the Nyetya virus renders data unrecoverable.

In fact, Microsoft reported that malware infections were discovered in at least 64 countries, having an impact on approximately 12,500 computers and associated machines. Because it contains worms, Nyetya — or the wiper virus, as it is now known — spreads easily across infected networks in a lateral direction, meaning attackers gain additional points of control over the system or systems being infected.

While complete protection is impossible, there are remedies available. The first involves adopting Microsoft Windows 10, which claims enhanced security features. (Microsoft is also issuing security patches for older operating systems to enhance protection.) The second, more important move is to rigidly maintain complete system backups in order to prevent a loss of data that cannot be retrieved. Foregoing this action and other cybersecurity measures could mean permanently losing company data.