Maritime cybersecurity: the future of national security

Abstract

Cybersecurity in the 21st century is constantly evolving and changing in order to meet today's threats. The maritime industry in the United States is no different than any other organization that can fall under a cyber-attack. Currently, no major cyber threat has threatened the maritime community in the United States or national security. Recent attempts to disrupt the flow of the maritime industry, however, legitimize fears over maritime cyber-attacks. The United States has significant shortfalls in maritime cybersecurity. This thesis evaluates U.S. ports and strategies against those of the European Union to examine the impact of cyber issues on the United States and its national security. The maritime community is not cyber resilient and has no specific guidelines or responses in place to deter or prevent a major cyber-attack on the United States. For the United States to maintain its cyber resilience and normal operations at its ports, the global maritime community must address the issues together to maintain global maritime dominance.