Cyber attackers can shift a vessel’s reported position, mislead the radar display, turn on and disable machinery, and override the fuel control, steering and ballast systems (illustration: Naval Dome)

Israel-based cyber security specialist Naval Dome has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lloyd’s Register (LR), a global provider of engineering and technology-centric professional services. The MoU is aimed at establishing standards and guidelines for maritime cyber defence.

As part of the collaboration agreement, LR will carry out a series of pilot tests using the company’s cyber security software onboard a LR-classed vessel. The Naval Dome system is the first multi-layer cyber defence solution developed specifically for maritime applications.

Ran Merkazy, Vice President – Product & Services Innovation (CTO Group), LR, says, “The objective is to establish standards around cyber defence in the maritime space, utilising Naval Dome’s expertise. We will then test the system with our customers to make sure that it provides the requisite level of security without disruption to their systems and operations.”

Naval Dome’s governmental level intelligence grade, combined with a specific focus on maritime defence and a product designed to minimise human interaction, were the primary reasons behind LR selecting the Israeli company as its project partner.

“The company has the right credentials and an excellent understanding of the maritime intelligence sector to be able to provide the advice we need to develop concise and effective guidelines for preventing system and data security breaches at sea,” adds Merkazy.

Itai Sela, Chief Executive Officer, Naval Dome, says, “The lack of guidelines and standards for creating a more secure maritime environment is the shipping industry’s Achilles’ heel. With human operator error the cause of a significant number of security breaches, the MoU we have signed with Lloyd’s Register will help create a more effective end-to-end solution for cyber defence.”

Using intelligence agency security technology, Naval Dome’s device blocks internal and external cyber-attacks to provide maximum protection with minimal human intervention. It integrates with existing systems and software, providing real-time cyber alerts and blocks malicious files to prevent unauthorised access to critical systems and data.

Independent of the LR collaboration, Naval Dome has already successfully demonstrated a ship’s vulnerability to cyber-attacks.

“Our software engineering team performed a series of cyber-attacks on live navigation systems, engines and other machinery control systems. The attack was able to shift the vessel’s reported position, mislead the radar display, turn on and disable machinery, and override the fuel control, steering and ballast systems. In a second test using the Naval Dome software, we carried out the same attack but were unable to penetrate any of the ship’s systems,” says Sela.

Tags: Lloyd’s Register, Naval Dome