Ninety percent of the goods transported around the Earth are moved by oil tankers and container vessels that travel our oceans. Crews get smaller and ships get larger as the industry adopts automation, remote monitoring, and remote navigational systems, all of which can be cyber-attacked. Researchers from the University of Texas verified that it was possible to change a ship’s direction by simulating a GPS signal to target a ship’s onboard navigation system. Imagine this scenario: A shipping container filled with chemical or biological weapons is stowed in the hold of a cargo ship, which is caused to run aground in a major U.S. port (e.g., Boston, New Orleans, or Los Angeles). There, the weapon is detonated remotely by terrorists.
- Examine and discuss the critically growing maritime threats brought about by advances in technology. Cite specific examples.
- Outline potential countermeasures to protect both ports and ships from involuntarily participating in a WMD terrorist attack. In fact, you may find yourself inventing a countermeasure that does not exist today!
- U.S. Coast Guard is only able to respond to approximately 30 percent of coastal emergencies. Today U.S. Coast Guard conducts U.S. port security assessments and analyzes security risk. Would the U.S. Coast Guard resources be better served if the local and state police departments take over this task, and permit the U.S. Coast Guard to focus on sea-based security risk emergency events? Provide an argument for and against this change.