New Article at SHIPPING Magazine (February 2025 issue) by Paillette Palaiologou, Senior Vice President, Eastern Europe, Mediterranean Sea, Middle East, India and Africa (EMA), Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore
The shipping sector is an integral part of the global supply chains that underpin international trade, and as recent years have demonstrated all too clearly, shipping will feel the repercussions of conflict and instability, whatever form it takes. In a globally connected world, the ripple effect from events in one corner of globe are quickly felt thousands of miles away, and shipping is often on the frontline.
Most importantly, we think of the seafarers who too often are placed in harm’s way when it comes to the security threats faced by global shipping. Whether that is in the Black Sea due to the continued conflict between Russia and Ukraine, or the severe threats to vessels in the Red Sea, such threats to the safety and wellbeing of the seafarers are completely unacceptable.
More generally, shipping is used to dealing with turbulence, disruption and risk, in its many guises; whether as a result of the natural hazards faced by shipping operations around the globe, economic and commercial disruption, which may impact the choice of trading routes and port calls, or the disruption that comes with change – such as new environmental regulations or digital transformation.
Class societies have an important role to play in helping shipping to minimize disruption, reduce risk and find the best path forward in turbulent times.
At Bureau Veritas (BV), we address the challenges arising from geopolitical events. We closely monitor global developments, assessing their impact on vessel operations, safety, and compliance. Drawing on our expertise, we collaborate with our customers to develop updated guidelines and protocols, ensuring vessels adapt to evolving trade dynamics and regulatory requirements. We can help clients in assessing risk and helping them make the best decisions.
Our support extends to providing advisory services, conducting risk assessments, and delivering training programmes, empowering ship owners to navigate geopolitical uncertainties to the best of their ability. Through continuous monitoring, constant engagement with our customers and collaboration with our partners, we strive to mitigate the impact of geopolitical events on seaborne trade and uphold the safety, compliance, and resilience of the maritime industry.
Whilst it is beyond the scope of the classification sector to offer solutions to the sources of conflict and instability around the globe, we take seriously the role we can play in mitigating the consequences that are felt by the shipping industry, as well as the hundreds of thousands of seafarers that we all rely upon.
As a testing, inspection and certification body, it is in our DNA to help build trust between stakeholders and to de-risk new projects. This includes those that support shipping’s digital transformation and its transition to a low carbon future, in line with the IMO’s ambitions, as well as unexpected global events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether it is through our Rules and our Approval in Principles (AiP) or collaborative R&D projects, we are proud of the role we play to identify, assess, and mitigate the risks faced by shipping, and in doing so, to always put safety first.
Finally, whilst there is no room for complacency when it comes to the physical security threats faced by shipping, we also need to address the cyber-security threats targeted towards vessels and shipping companies.
Rapid advances in digitalization and ship-shore connectivity have delivered many benefits for safety at sea, but they also bring new hazards – not least, evolving cyber-security threats. As vessels, ports and shore-side systems are increasingly interconnected and automated, the vulnerabilities are growing. Today’s threat range includes ransomware attacks and data theft, AIS data manipulation and spoofing, attacks on vessel navigation and control systems, scamming and phishing, and more. The consequences can be measured not only in financial, reputational and business continuity terms, but also the severe risks to vessel and crew safety and the marine environment.
In response, owners must develop and implement cyber-risk management policies and procedures for their fleet and operations. BV supports them in creating cyber policies that address cyber security rules, roles and responsibilities, in accordance with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. As a key element of our support, in tandem with other BV rules, notations and services, we have developed our CYBER MANAGED class notation. This notation demonstrates that a vessel is compliant with IMO regulations and that the owner has an effective cyber-risk management system in place.
Looking ahead, we can expect new cybersecurity regulations that require increasingly rigorous standards for cyber protection, along with clear reporting protocols in the event of breaches. The challenge we all face is to stay one step ahead of bad actors that themselves are looking for new vulnerabilities. Class societies have an important role in helping owners, equipment manufacturers, shipyards, ports and other stakeholders develop and implement organizational and technical measures that will build greater cyber resilience.