MEMBER ALERT Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., Manager One Battery Park Plaza 31 st Fl., New York, NY 10004 USA Tel: +1 212 847 4500 Fax: +1 212 847 4599 https://www.american-club.com American Club Member Alert – Dec em b er 2 3 , 20 20 1 DECEMBER 23, 2020 MARITIME INDUSTRY GROUP PUBLISHES NEW AND IMPROVED CYBER SECURITY GUIDELINES The fourth edition of the maritime industry cyber risk management guidelines, Guidelines on Cyber Security Onboard Ships is now available. It establishes a foundation for further improvements and refinement of companies’ cyber security risk assessments. This version of the Guidelines is published at a time when shipowners and operators must account for cyber risk management in their safety management systems (SMS) by the time of their first Document of Compliance audit after January 1, 2021. While the third version of the Guidelines offered the necessary guidance for the initial work of implementing cyber risk management in the SMS, the new version contains several improvements. The updated Guidelines contain general updates to best practices and, as a key feature, include a section with improved guidance on the concept of risk and risk management. The improved risk model considers a cyber-threat as the product of capability, opportunity and intent, and explains the likelihood of a cyber incident as the product of vulnerability in conjunction with such a threat. Thus, the improved risk model offers an explanation as to why relatively few safety-related incidents have unfolded in the maritime industry to date, but also why this should not be misinterpreted and why in consequence shipping companies should not lower their guard. The industry group involved included BIMCO, the Chamber of Shipping of America, the Digital Containership Association, the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO), Interferry, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), INTERMANAGER, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), the International Marine Contractors’ Association (IMCA), the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI), the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), the Superyacht Builders Association (Sybass), and the World Shipping Council (WSC). Members are encouraged to take the Guidelines into consideration and be guided accordingly.