A cyber incident at sea does not need a sophisticated attacker to put operations at risk. A reused password or poorly controlled supplier account can be enough to expose a vessel.

The real weakness is often the gap between written security policies and what crews can follow in daily operations. Technology cannot protect a fleet if basic controls fail when they matter most.

Maritime cyber security is often discussed in terms of sophisticated attacks. Yet IASME's Craig Wooldridge argues that many incidents begin with basic weaknesses, including reused passwords, exposed remote access and compromised supplier accounts. These familiar gaps can create serious operational risks.

The concern extends beyond protecting business data. Ships rely on connected systems for navigation, machinery and communication, while shore teams and external vendors may have access to onboard networks. If an attacker gains entry through a poorly secured account, inadequate network separation can allow the incident to spread into other systems.

Wooldridge's warning is particularly relevant to fleets where vessels operate continuously and equipment may remain in service for years. Patching can be difficult when maintenance windows are limited or software updates require vendor support. Shared logins and generic administrator accounts can also persist when crews need quick access to systems.

Written policies alone cannot close these gaps. Crew members need practical instructions that work at sea, including which systems to isolate, whom to contact and what must remain operational during an incident. Wooldridge puts it plainly: “The training of your crew could stop a major disaster from happening.”

Asset visibility is another priority. Ship managers need a reliable inventory of onboard systems and an understanding of how those systems connect. Without that knowledge, it is harder to restrict access, contain a breach or restore critical services safely.

IASME's Maritime Cyber Baseline scheme provides a framework covering access control, patching, remote access, supplier security, network separation, backups and incident response. Certification can help establish consistent expectations, but its practical value rests on whether controls are implemented and maintained across the fleet.

The wider issue is operational resilience. A vessel cannot simply suspend its responsibilities because an IT system has failed. Cyber security must therefore protect critical operations and give crews a workable plan for responding when prevention fails.

Control access, know what is connected and practise recovery before an incident occurs.

When the same data is keyed into three different systems by an already stretched crew, who do you think is checking it?

Compliance has quietly become a tick-box exercise on many vessels, not because crews don't care, but because fragmented digital processes make confidence almost impossible. 

The Great Integration shows how leading operators are turning compliance back into useful decision support, not just paperwork.

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