Maritime Cyber Protection System MCPS by Naval Dome, Israeli cybersecurity company, has been awarded at the Riviera Maritime Media’s (RMM) 2018 Marine Propulsion Awards, and Informa’s Shipping2030 Innovation of the Year Award, in the Marine Intelligence category.
The prestigious annual award, which took place in Amsterdam for this year’s edition, recognises technical innovations in marine engineering and technology sectors. The categories of the award included best efficiency improvement technology, best emissions-reducing technology, best innovation, best maritime intelligence innovation, and ship of the year.
The Maritime Intelligence Award, sponsored by OSIsoft, is bestowed on companies or individuals that have developed a product, system or process that optimises the use of data, communications or IT technology. The award prizes innovations capable of improving significantly a ship’s or fleet’s efficiency, economy or operation thanks to the use of technology.
RMM’s judging panel selected the MCPS on the basis that it can significantly improve a ship or fleet’s efficiency, economy and operation, while Informa judges nominated the solution because of its focus on ‘smarter operations’, in light of the industry’s drive to digitalise shipping operations.
Using intelligence agency security technology, Naval Dome’s MCPS is designed to prevent internal and external cyber-attacks with minimal human intervention. It integrates with existing systems and software, providing real-time cyber alerts and blocks malicious files to prevent unauthorised access to critical systems and data.
During trials, Naval Dome performed a series of cyber-attacks on live navigation systems, engines and other machine control systems. The attack was able to shift the vessel’s reported position, mislead the radar display, turn on and disable machinery, and override the fuel control, steering and ballast systems. In a second test using the MCPS software, the same attack was carried out, but the hack was unsuccessful, unable to penetrate any of the ship’s systems.
Speaking after collecting the award, Naval Dome CEO Itai Sela, said: “We are thrilled to have won this award so soon after the official market introduction of our new technology, in 2017, and the day after confirming a fleet-wide agreement with Stamco Ship Management, the largest maritime cyber defence contract we have signed to-date. I am in no doubt that this award and our recent order will raise awareness of the vital importance of protecting ship systems from a cyber-attack. The systems and technology cybercriminals use is now so advanced that the shipping industry needs similarly advanced protection to prevent any system breach or intrusion. Anything less is like taking a knife to a gunfight.”
