Daily news

Marlink upgrades CyberGuard to provide ship owners with enhanced threat detection

 9 March 2022

Marlink has released a new version of CyberGuard Threat Detection, a cloud-based solution which provides enhanced protection and response to cyber threats. CyberGuard provides a portfolio of solutions, designed to defend customers’ remote assets and operations in a constantly evolving cyber security landscape.

CyberGuard Threat Detection, already installed onboard more than 1,000 vessels globally, provides an array of new features and service improvements, developed in response to user feedback captured directly from Marlink’s customer base. The new version enables shipping companies to ramp up their analysis and response to cyber threats and ensures compliance with latest regulations and quality systems.

The service uses Deep Packet Inspection technology to retroactively explore whether any newly identified indicator of compromise might have attacked the vessel. Other new features include user friendly ‘one click’ countermeasures via the CyberGuard dashboard to contain a cyber threat, DNS blacklisting to block malicious web domains and Media Access Control (MAC) address blacklisting to quarantine an infected device to prevent it from connecting and spreading the threat to other devices.

To support customers lacking in-house resources or competences to deal with cyber security threats, Marlink has launched a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) program as part of CyberGuard. This enables shipping companies to completely outsource cyber security tasks to Marlink, including monitoring, threat confirmation, incident contact and countermeasure implementation using Marlink's XChange or ITLink solutions. So that Shipping companies can further focus on transforming their business operations into digital powerhouses while leveraging Marlink’s award-winning Cyber Detection service to ensure confidentiality, security and continuity.

Since January 2021, shipping companies are required to demonstrate that they are prepared for cyber security risks as part of the ISM Code Document of Compliance in addition to voluntary compliance with numerous industry audit systems. As audits and inspections increase, vessel operators need cyber secure IT solutions that can be easily deployed across their fleet to protect on-board processes and demonstrate compliance as well as prove to their customers and other third parties that they have active threat protection in place.

“The past year has once again proven that cyber-attacks are unfortunately a fact of life for shipping companies, posing a serious risk to the safety of vessel operations, cargoes, crew and the environment. In essence the business continuity of shipping companies is at stake which requires the implementation of advanced and up-to-date cyber security protection measures,” said Nicolas Furgé, President, Digital, Marlink. “Our upgraded CyberGuard solution improves threat visibility, automates remediation and allows customers to focus on their business operations.”