Page 15: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2024)

Maritime Risk Symposium 2024 © Czintos Ödön/Adobe Stock

By Scott Blough & Taylor Romero, Mandiant, Part of Google Cloud he maritime transportation system is undergoing a Navigating the Grey Zone digital revolution. Automation and arti? cial intelli- The evolving cyber landscape also presents challenges be- gence (AI) are transforming how ships operate and yond traditional attacks. Grey zone operations blur the lines

Tcargo moves. However, this increased reliance on between legitimate and malicious activity, making them par- technology creates a double-edged sword: while AI offers pow- ticularly dif? cult to detect: erful tools for cybersecurity, it also presents new vulnerabilities. ? False Flag Attacks: Disguising attacks to appear as if

This article explores the growing threat of adversarial AI (AAI) they originate from another nation or entity creates confusion in maritime cyber security and how the industry can navigate and hampers attribution.

these challenging waters. ? Information Warfare: Manipulating maritime data, such as falsifying AIS signals, can disrupt navigation or mislead

AI: Guardian of the Seas competitors, causing economic damage.

AI is becoming a vital tool in the ? ght against cybercrime. ? Supply Chain In? ltration: Targeting vulnerable suppli-

Here’s how it bolsters maritime cyber defenses: ers upstream can grant attackers access to critical maritime ? Enhanced Threat Detection: AI algorithms can analyze systems further down the line.

vast amounts of data in real-time, identifying subtle anomalies that might indicate a cyberattack in its early stages. Charting a Course to Secure Seas ? Proactive Vulnerability Management: AI-powered tools To combat these threats, the maritime industry needs a can continuously scan shipboard systems and software for weak- multi-pronged approach: nesses, allowing for patching before attackers exploit them. ? Adversarial Training: Simulating AAI attacks on AI cy- ? Advanced Intrusion Prevention: AI-powered Intrusion bersecurity models to expose vulnerabilities before attackers do.

Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) can learn to recog- ? Explainable AI: When AI models ? ag threats, it’s crucial nize the signatures of known cyber threats and even detect ze- to understand their reasoning. Explainable AI techniques can ro-day attacks that exploit previously unknown vulnerabilities. help analysts determine the legitimacy of a threat.

? Human-AI Collaboration: AI should augment, not re-

The Dark Tide: Adversarial AI place, human security expertise. Analysts need to work along-

However, as AI becomes more sophisticated, so do cyber- side AI to investigate and respond to potential threats.

criminals. Adversarial AI (AAI) poses a signi? cant threat to ? Industry-Wide Cooperation: Sharing threat intelli- maritime cyber security: gence and best practices between shipping companies, port ? Bypassing AI Defenses: Malicious actors can craft data authorities, and security agencies is crucial to stay ahead of speci? cally designed to deceive AI threat detection systems. evolving threats.

For instance, they could manipulate AIS data to make a ship appear legitimate while masking its true intentions. Conclusion ? Data Poisoning: By manipulating the training data used The maritime transportation system is entering a new era of for AI cybersecurity models, attackers could compromise the AI-powered ef? ciency. However, this progress necessitates a models themselves, leading them to overlook real threats or heightened awareness of the risks posed by adversarial AI. By misclassify legitimate activity as malicious. proactively addressing these challenges through collaborative ? Exploiting AI Weaknesses: AAI can identify vulnerabil- efforts and strategic investments in cybersecurity, the industry ities in AI-powered security systems, allowing attackers to by- can navigate these adversarial seas and ensure the safe and pass defenses or gain unauthorized access to critical systems. secure ? ow of global trade.

This is an excerpt from a panel to be presented at Maritime Risk Symposium 2024, scheduled for June 11-13, 2024 at Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, CA. Register here: https://www.maritimerisksymposium.org/

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