An industry coalition has launched a new database for CVEs it says will help shipping companies to improve their vulnerability management efforts.
Blue Initiative was announced on October 26 by maritime cybersecurity vendors Cydome and Rakuten Maritime, alongside inspection and certification specialist Bureau Veritas, ship classification society ClassNK and the Maritime Transportation System Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MTS-ISAC).
They claimed the new database would be the first to list only IT and OT vulnerabilities relevant to the sector.
It will therefore help maritime companies address vulnerability management and alerting more proactively, it added.
Cydome CEO Nir Ayalon said that identifying flaws relevant to the specialized systems maritime operators use is a challenge.
“Our vision with the Blue Initiative is to have a public and open single source of truth for maritime-related vulnerabilities,” he added. “This will provide IT and cyber teams, vendors and research facilities a much more focused view of risks relevant to their specific vessels, making vulnerabilities and risk management much more effective and faster than before.”
Any proposed entries to the Maritime Vulnerabilities Repository (MVR) will be reviewed by researchers from Cydome and other Blue Initiative partners, who will validate and refine them before publishing.
Users will then be able to:
- Browse all CVEs and their details
- Filter by relevant equipment or vendors
- Access more detailed expert insight on specific vulnerabilities and their impact
- Subscribe for updates and alerts on new vulnerabilities
Vulnerabilities are only published once a patch is available, the group clarified.
“Amid a shifting threat landscape where technological advancement increasingly empowers threat actors targeting maritime critical infrastructure, the Blue Initiative delivers essential vulnerability intelligence that addresses a critical vulnerability gap,” argued Christy Coffey, VP operations at MTS-ISAC.
“Recognizing the value of this community-driven approach to maritime situational awareness, the MTS-ISAC strongly endorses this collaborative model and has integrated its operational workflows to both contribute to and leverage this vital initiative.”
Cyber-Attacks on Shipping Mount
The launch comes as attacks in the sector continue. On August 21 and 24, the US Coast Guard and FBI were forced to board two oil tankers in the Gulf of Mexico after cyber-attacks against on-board systems by “foreign cyber actors.”
It’s claimed the hackers were able to breach both IT and OT networks, interfering with propulsion, navigation and other systems.
More recently still, the n0n extortion group added dozens of global maritime organizations to its leak site on October 12. However, none of the claimed victims – which include carriers and port and terminal operators – have thus far confirmed any security incidents.
“Cyber resilience requirements for ships are not simply a checklist for audits, but a continuous process throughout a vessel’s operational life,” explained Panagiotis Anastasiou, cyber technical & market leader, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore.
“Owners are expected to maintain the security of onboard systems as new vulnerabilities emerge, making effective vulnerability management a critical element of maritime cyber resilience. In practice, this can be challenging, as relevant information is often scattered across general-purpose databases and vendor advisories.”