ABS Consulting, a subsidiary of class society ABS, has launched a range of cyber security services to assist waterway facilities in the US in implementing cyber risk management programmes to comply with MTSA (Maritime Transportation Security Act) regulations.
The services are specifically aimed at MTSA-regulated facilities, and address the cyber risk management guidelines noted in the US Coast Guard’s recently issued Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 01-20.
The Coast Guard’s NVIC notes that, pursuant to existing MTSA regulations, US maritime facilities must address cyber security in their required facility security assessment and facility security plan.
ABS Consulting says it can work with maritime facilities to conduct remote or in-person assessments and develop a roadmap for integrating cyber security into their existing policies and procedures, as required by the regulations.
Its services also include a Facility Security Officer training course, which outlines the Coast Guard’s guidance and follows the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cyber Security Framework as best practice for establishing a cyber security programme within an MTSA-regulated facility.
“More emphasis is being placed on the protection of critical information infrastructure within facilities and building comprehensive risk controls for cyber resilience to defend maritime assets,” said Ian Bramson, Global Head of Cyber Security at ABS Group.
“Since we began scrutinising emerging cyber security guidelines, our experienced assessors were among the first to begin implementing cyber security using the NIST framework. Today, we provide a comprehensive range of cyber capabilities to defend the nation’s ports and terminals.”
