“The Future of Maritime Cybersecurity” Event by Oriani & K2 Informatics
The Event
On Wednesday, 23rd of November, an interesting and selective Maritime Cybersecurity Event took place in Athens, organized by Oriani Hellas, a leading company in maritime digital technology and K2 Informatics, an IT company with 6+ years of experience in The Maritime Industry.
The event included experienced IT & HSQE maritime professionals from Shipping Companies. The scope was to hold an open discussion about the latest cyber trends in the shipping industry. As well as K2-Secure was presented, a complete cybersecurity solution that Oriani & K2 Informatics created together.
Guest Speakers
The guest speakers of this elegant evening included:
Philip Nielsen, Co-Founder – Oriani Hellas
Michael Vrettos, Sr. Cyber Security Expert – RINA Hellas
Dr. Matthew Maheras, CIO – Metrostar Management Corp
George Gorgolis, CTO, Co-Founder – K2 Informatics
George Karistinos, Sales Development Director – Oriani Hellas
Alexandros Stathopoulos, IT Director – Hellas Confidence
The Program
The Growing number of Cyber-attacks in Shipping
First Mr. Nielsen, Co-Founder of Oriani Hellas, warmly welcomed everyone. He set the scene; highlighting the growing number of incidents and then spoke about the sophistication of cyber attacks and the general lack of awareness that is seen in shipping, a well-known ‘late adopter’ of technology. Furthermore, Mr. Nielsen included some eye-catching statistics, such as the fact that in 2021 there was a 33% increase in cyber-attacks targeting ships or shipping companies – in total that year there was an attack every 39 seconds. There was an appreciation of the experience of the audience, knowing that these statistics are already well understood and appreciated. The aim of the evening was set – not to dwell on the current state but to delve deeper into how these threats can be best addressed.
The Latest Cyber Trends in Maritime
Then Mr. Vrettos, Sr. Cyber Security Expert of RINA Hellas presented and discussed the latest cybersecurity trends of the Maritime Industry. He highlighted the role of regulation in addressing vulnerabilities and the changing landscape from IMO, IACS and ISPS. He took the audience through how RINA is approaching these changes. RINA uses digitalization to reduce complexity and assist, rather than complicate, companies with their internal procedures. In conclusion, Cyber Automation is the solution to increase compliance and timely detection and response to threats.
The Most Important Cybersecurity Questions Board of Directors Must Consider
Following, Mr. Maheras, CIO of Metrostar Management Corporation, and vice-president of AMMITEC, took a more internal approach. He looked at what companies themselves can do. After that he discussed the most important cybersecurity questions that a company’s board-of-directors must start to consider. Also, Mr. Maheras explained the importance of changing the mindset from within the company, and as a first step to start with the board. Given these points, you thereby ensure full adoption and understanding of all employees, not just the IT department. Especially as data shows that 95% of cybersecurity issues are traced to human error.
K2-Secure | Maritime Cybersecurity Solution
Evidently with the framework now set, it was time to introduce the K2-Secure solution, presented by Mr. Gorgolis from K2 Informatics, & Mr. Karistinos from Oriani. They started by highlighting how the joint development came about; through combining K2 Informatics’ unique technical ability and experience within maritime technology with Oriani’s established business network and detailed understanding of the customers’ needs. As a result, Oriani & K2 Informatics co-created a unique holistic cybersecurity solution custom built for the Maritime Industry.
A Cyber Success Story
Finally, the IT Director of Hellas Confidence, Mr. Stathopoulos introduced the success story of K2-Secure. He compared the pre-existing condition of the company’s cybersecurity and internal procedures to how they were following the adoption of K2-Secure. Mr. Stathopoulos showcased that taking the step change to a more holistic solution that covers cybersecurity, remote asset management and adds 24/7 support, can achieve greater efficiency and security.
After the panels, during the Q&A the attendees asked questions via an interactive platform.
To conclude, the event received glowing praise from the attendees. The warmth of the venue and friendliness of Oriani’s hosts merely added to the experience. Everyone went home with knowledge, awareness, and some newly established relationships.
