Homeland Security seeks private-sector advice to avert devastating cyberattacks on ports, ships

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is seeking private-sector assistance to "support research into effective maritime cybersecurity measures" in the U.S. Maritime Transportation System. MTS contributes nearly $650 billion to the U.S. economy and provides 13 to 30 million jobs. MTS is a popular, and sometimes easy, target for cybersecurity attacks.

The DHS request for infrastructure information about U.S. ports comes from the agency's Science and Technology Directorate, according to a DHS press release.

Despite MTS's vital economic contributions, "U.S. government and industry efforts to protect against such attacks, however, are lagging," a report from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission found.

"A cyberattack against a complex maritime ecosystem could be devastating to the stability of the global economy," the report continues. Over 75% of U.S. trade relies on the MTS, "which accounts for $5.4 trillion in economic activity."

The report found that "hackers have increasingly targeted the maritime industry, disrupting key port operations and causing significant financial damage to affected companies and the global economy" since 2017 at least.

"In June 2017, Russia’s NotPetya malware attack on Ukraine spread around the world, infecting global shipping giant Maersk, which is responsible for 76 ports globally and hundreds of vessels carrying tens of millions of tons of cargo at any moment," according to the report. Wired magazine called it "the most devastating cyberattack since the invention of the internet—an attack that began, at least, as an assault on one nation by another." 

"Port operations halted, container ships could not unload, and trucks could not enter ports to move cargo," the report continues. "Weeks later, after hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, operations returned to normal."

The RFI is aimed at "commercial port operators to advance the work of the Directorate’s Maritime Port Resiliency and Security Research Testbed project, studies vulnerabilities in U.S. ports and the effectiveness of current protections and mitigations."

"The United States Maritime Transportation System (MTS) is a sophisticated network of waterways, ports, and intermodal connections that facilitates the movement of people and goods on the water and supports recreational use by the public," the release reads.

Those wishing to provide information have until 5 PM ET on Oct. 4, 2024 to participate.