As vessels become more technologically advanced—with digital navigation, IoT systems, and environmentally sustainable engines—the cybersecurity behind them remains dangerously underdeveloped. A growing number of industry voices are warning that this imbalance could have catastrophic consequences.
One expert from a company in the maritime sector recently urged shipowners and operators to prioritize cybersecurity not as a checkbox exercise, but as a core component of operational resilience.
“We’re seeing modern ships with cutting-edge green technology, yet they’re often connected to outdated or poorly protected IT systems. This is an open invitation to espionage, sabotage, and potentially fleet-wide disruption,” the expert said.
Cyber Threats Below Deck
Despite an increased reliance on digital platforms, many maritime companies continue to lag in cybersecurity readiness. It’s not the core propulsion or navigation systems that are most frequently targeted—it’s the onboard IT infrastructure, often riddled with outdated software, insufficient patching, and weak access control mechanisms.
In fact, recent industry data indicates that:
- Over 80% of shipowners have reported cyber incidents in the last three years
- The average cost of a maritime cyberattack exceeds $3.1 million
- Only 31% of maritime organizations consider themselves highly prepared for cyber threats
- Phishing remains the dominant attack vector, implicated in 91% of successful breaches
Experts are calling for a comprehensive shift—moving beyond reactive measures to building secure-by-design systems and embedding cybersecurity into every level of maritime operations.
The RELIANOID Approach: Strengthening the Maritime Security Perimeter
At RELIANOID, we recognize the critical need to protect maritime assets from modern cyber threats. Our technologies are designed to help maritime operators implement defense-in-depth strategies that go beyond basic compliance.
A key part of our offering includes advanced Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) capabilities—ensuring that only verified personnel can access sensitive shipboard systems, regardless of their location or network conditions.
RELIANOID’s MFA features are specifically built with the maritime sector in mind:
- Support for satellite or low-connectivity environments
- Flexible integration with existing ship IT systems and control panels
- Time-based and token-based access validation to mitigate credential theft
- Role-based access controls to limit exposure in case of compromise
Beyond MFA, our platform enables:
- Real-time traffic inspection to detect intrusion attempts and data exfiltration
- Granular access control policies for segmented networks
- End-to-end encryption for internal and external communications
- Hot-restart technology for updates without disrupting operations
Collaboration is Key
Protecting the global maritime infrastructure requires more than isolated efforts. RELIANOID supports collaboration across ship operators, insurers, and technology providers—facilitating secure incident response coordination and proactive threat sharing through modern SIEM-compatible logging and alerting mechanisms.
As the maritime industry continues to digitalize, it must also fortify. The cost of inaction is far greater than the investment in cybersecurity maturity. With RELIANOID, shipowners can modernize their digital infrastructure—without compromising safety or sovereignty.
Don’t let security be your weakest link—let it be your strongest defense at sea. Don’t hesitate to contact us.
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