Vulnerabilities and Threats to Port Security and Security

Plans

Jacob Guidry
Prof DiRenzo
HLSS312
02/24/2019

Final Assignment Essay Questions

By: Jacob Guidry
24 hours extension approved - no penalty
 Vulnerabilities and Threats to Port Security and Security
Plans

1. What are 4 published resources (strategies, International Codes, etc) available to the port

FSO in assessing domestic and international risks associated with terrorism and other

criminal activity threats posed to port maritime operations? Provide critical analysis of

each…strengths, weaknesses areas that need further development.

The Port Facility Security Officer has many different resources available to him or her

that work with ensuring the efficiency of operations at our ports and allow for relevant

knowledge in a given situation. To begin with, a well-known code that FSOs have is ISPS or

International Ship and Port Facility and Security Code. This code is a set of measures that allows

for the enhancement of port security. In doing this it gives FSOs a sort of guide line or as the

name states a code to follow in order to continue port security operations.

ISPS has some weakness one of those weaknesses has to do with IMOs and their inability

to enforce their own regulations. They can now only monitor compliance and this power of

enforcement is given over to contracting governments. ISPS and what vessels it applies too as

well can be seen as a weakness also. ISPS does not apply to many vessels that are extremely

vulnerable to different forms of maritime crime and terrorism. This can include high speed

container vessels, fishing vessels, and other vessels that were built prior to July of 2001.

The MTSA or Maritime Transportation Security Act was enacted in 2004. This is a

significant piece of legislation that helps to enforce global and national maritime security. It also

helps create a framework and system for securing maritime transportation and commerce.
 Vulnerabilities and Threats to Port Security and Security
Plans

Through this act different committees have been brought up also to help with create better

management and planning.

C-TPAT or Customs- Trade Partnership Against Terrorism is another resource available.

This is used to help different federal and private partners to assess and come up with ways to

counter attack attacks on national and global supply chains. Through this partnership

relationships can be built in order to better understand different forms of attack and reasonings

behind attacks and how to prevent them. This partnership builds on working relationships and

the sharing of information that can be critical to helping with security in ports and other areas of

the supply chain.

2. What is the role of MTSA 2002 required Area Maritime Security Committee or AMSC.

Why is this organization critical to the secure operation of a port? Be specific. Area there

areas within the security regime that committee members can work more closely?

AMS Committees are extremely important to bolstering and holding our line of defense

for our nation's ports. Through the AMSC we have coordination, communication, effective

planning, unity and open working relationships. This is extremely important for port security and

has great importance to how we effectively protect our ports. This was made true especially after

the events of 9/11.

AMS committees work with all sectors of port security and provide important insight into

helping with many forms of threats. Through a system of providing plans as well as structured

guidelines, training, and resources the committee helps improve our security in our ports. It helps

correct imperfections in port facility and infrastructure as well help improve upon other areas
 Vulnerabilities and Threats to Port Security and Security
Plans

within port facilities. It also provides security personnel through all of sectors with different

assessments and training as well as how they can improve upon this.

This committee also provides a way for all the sectors from Federal to Private to have

open and consistent communication. Through this communication can working relationships as

well as different forms of information can be shared with each other in order to evaluate each

other. This also helps in crisis situation as some sectors have different information and supplies

as well as man power and these different resources can then be used together. This also works for

information as well and that helps with protecting our ports.

3.Define and give examples of maritime Cyber terrorism. How does it threaten port

security operations now and in the future? Be specific.

Different types of cyber terrorism exist in our maritime environment these including

hacking of ships systems that include spoofing and jamming. These two different forms of

hacking are forms of terrorism that can affect ships on route to different destinations. For

example, when a terrorist group decides to jam radio and GPS signals on a ship, they can then

prevent a ship from finding its way to a save destination making that ship vulnerable to either the

sea itself or a future attack.

This also goes for spamming when as ship is spammed its onboard navigation system is

sent false coordinates. This can be used to lure ships to a fate that is intended to terrorize the ship

and crew. This can then lead to a larger more physical terror attack such as the ship being led

into an area that becomes an ambush. These two forms can be used together in order to create an
 Vulnerabilities and Threats to Port Security and Security
Plans

ambush that can cause the ship to be taken over and the crew held captive or killed and if the

ship holds useful resources those will be taken as well.

Most of these pirate groups who do this and use these types of technologies are funded by

terrorist groups. These terrorist groups use these pirate raiding parties in order to then gain

supplies and ships as well and this can cripple the economy. Since most ship tech and cyber

security is behind office security by at least 20 years this can be an increasing problem.

The best way to combat this by far is to increase the cyber security technologies that are

on ships. Having portable radar jammers that help jam incoming frequencies used to cripple ship

navigation and radio signals. This coupled with increased security and individuals who are

trained in cyber security could help big time. These individuals could also help with preventing

spoofing by having scanners that can detect different forms of radio waves that are known to be

used to attack ships.

 Vulnerabilities and Threats to Port Security and Security
Plans

Resources

United States Coast Guard. (2017). Area Maritime Security Committees (AMSC)[Brochure].
Washington, DC: Author.
Boske, L. B. (2006). Port and Supply-Chain Security Initiatives in the United States and Abroad
Prepared for the Congressional Research Service(pp. 1-239, Rep. No. 150). Austin, TX:
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
Jacq, O., Boudvin, X., Brosset, D., Kermarrec, Y., & Simonin, J. (2018). Detecting and Hunting
Cyberthreats in a Maritime Environment: Specification and Experimentation of a Maritime
Cybersecurity Operations Centre. 2018 2nd Cyber Security in Networking Conference
(CSNet). doi:10.1109/csnet.2018.8602669
Security Since 9/11: Creating the Maritime Transportation Security Act. (2018, February 09).
Retrieved from https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/maritime-security/security-
since-9-11-creating-maritime-transportation-security-act-isps-code/
The International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code. (n.d.). Maritime Work Law Fundamentals:
Responsible Shipowners, Reliable Seafarers,665-706. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72751-4_6
Vulnerabilities and Threats to Port Security and Security
Plans