Port of San Diego: phishing emails remain amongst greatest cyber threats

Phishing emails continue to be one of the greatest threats to a port’s cybersecurity.

In 2021, ports and shipping stakeholders ranging from liner HMM to South African port infrastructure owner Transnet’s online systems were rocked by cyber-attacks, stalling operations and risking financial and data loss.

Port and maritime systems have never been more under threat: in 2020, security firm Naval Dome said that reported cyber-attacks had risen by a staggering 900% since 2017.

As ports have become digitalised, introducing Internet of Things (IoT) assets to its network, concerns have grown about increasing vulnerabilities and ‘attack points’ for a cyber criminal.

But social engineering – taking advantage of an employee on the other end of the keyboard to gain access – through methods such as phishing emails continues to be one of the largest threats to a port’s cybersecurity strategy.

The pandemic-driven increase in remote working has also led to a significant rise in phishing emails: Barracuda Networks found that phishing emails globally surged by a stunning 667% in March 2020.

To read the full article ‘Evolving cybersecurity in ports’ click here!

Billy Marsh, Chief Information Security Officer at the Port of San Diego, told PTI that ports and terminals still face considerable threats through social engineering.


https://www.porttechnology.org/news/port-of-san-diego-phishing-emails-remain-amongst-greatest-cyber-threats/