Totem Plus partners with Naval Dome

Totem Plus has announced that it will offer its PC-based navigation and automation systems with Naval Dome’s cyber defence solution under an agreement signed in September.

The two Israel-based companies started cooperating last year when the Naval Dome solution was used to protect Totem Plus vessel systems including the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), Integrated Monitoring, Alarm and Control, and Bridge Alert Management installations aboard a 5000TEU containership.

Naval Dome expects cyber-attacks on navigation systems in the maritime environment to remain a challenge in 2018, with more and more companies storing their data on the cloud as well as an increasing number of internet-connected devices. Hackers are also becoming more sophisticated in their methods to access data and manipulate system information.

Itai Sela, CEO, Naval Dome, said: ‘Although there is a concerted effort to ensure ships systems and data are properly protected, ECDIS is a weak link. If not protected, they can provide hackers with an easily penetrable ‘back door’ to ship systems and data, due to the frequency with which charts are information is downloaded.

‘While a good percentage of crews are aware that they have an important role to play in thwarting any cyber security breaches, [a survey carried out last month by NSSLGlobal] highlighted that 84% of the [571] crew members surveyed claimed to have received limited or no cybersecurity training. This is a real concern. But our system takes away the human element.’

The cooperation agreement with Totem Plus follows a Memorandum of Understanding Naval Dome signed earlier this month with Lloyd’s Register to help establish standards and guidelines for maritime cyber defence.