BULK TERMINALS’ CYBER WEAK SPOT TO BE ADDRESSED AT ABTO CONFERENCE
Improving bulk terminals’ cyber security will be a key theme at Bulk Terminals 2018, the Association of Bulk Terminal Operators’ annual conference which takes place this year in Hamburg, Germany, from the 23rd October.
“Cyber security and safety can be investment drivers for bulk terminal operators, and for good reason,” said ABTO Director, Simon Gutteridge. “Upping the industry’s ante in terms of cyber protection, following a number of hacking events, continues to be a priority for terminal operators. Bulk Terminals 2018 will address industry concerns and inform all stakeholders on what they need to do to be cyber safe.”
Chris Gibbons, Director of MCERT, the cyber security initiative launched by Templar Executives and Wärtsilä, will detail the cyber challenges the industry faces along with the appropriate responses.
He will explain how the MCERT initiative is bringing collaboration and innovation to the maritime sector by facilitating a 24×7 Cyber Emergency Response Team and providing proactive cyber intelligence alerts, expertise and training. He will explain why this industry leading approach and the capabilities provided by the MCERT is a call to bulk terminals sector to engage and help raise the bar when it comes to the evolving cyber agenda.
“As the maritime world becomes more complex, interconnected and reliant on technology we are faced with an enormous challenge: either we work together to improve our ability to defend ourselves by confronting and defeating the malicious acts so we are not vulnerable targets or collateral damage, or we fragment and fail,” said Gibbons.
The security session, chaired by Andrew Huxley ACII, Regional Development Director, TT Club, will also explore regional security initiatives, such as the EU’s SAURON project and the disruptive impact cyber-related crime can have on terminal operations.
Ian Adams, Chief Executive of the Association of Bulk Terminal Operators, said: “Both physical and cyber security remains a particular weak spot for the ship-to-shore interface. Ports and terminals are not only at risk from breaches in their own security but also their customers. If hackers attack terminals it can result not only in the loss of sensitive information, but also loss of power, loss of system availability, port congestion and reputational damage. Terminal operators do need to have robust business continuity plan in place.”
Other sessions at the conference include terminal environmental sustainability, with presentations from Capt. Richard Brough, OBE, Director, Technical Advisor, ICHCA International, Damen Green Solutions’ Philip Rabe, and Michael Gubbins, Vice President, CODELCO.
A key element of the session will be how the bulk terminals sector can efficiently and safely handle higher concentrations of copper using containerised bulk handling systems. According to Michael Gubbins there are solutions capable of facilitating higher safety standards while ensuring zero material loss from mine to ships.
Safe cargo handling will be a recurrent theme throughout the two-day conference. Richard Steele, Executive Director, Ports Skills and Safety (PSS) will assess the hazards operators face when handling bulk cargoes and address ways of managing risks and generally improving the cargo handling performance.
Adams added: “With an insightful overview of the sector’s near to mid-term prospects kickstarting the conference, together with a number of invaluable presentations on the main issues impacting terminal operations, we anticipate a very successful and well-attended Bulk Terminals 2018.”