Transportation & Shipping MSSP Providers

How to Evaluate an MSSP for Shipping & Maritime

• Ask about the provider's experience with IMO maritime cybersecurity guidelines and ISM Code requirements for cyber risk management.
• Understand how the MSSP monitors vessel systems during periods of limited or no connectivity, which is a common operational reality at sea.
• Clarify the provider's experience securing port operational technology, including terminal operating systems and cargo handling equipment.
• Ask about their ability to coordinate incident response across multiple jurisdictions, since maritime operations span international waters and port authorities.

Maritime MSSP: Shore-Based vs. Vessel Security

Shore-based maritime security covers port terminal operating systems, crane and cargo handling OT, logistics platforms, and corporate IT networks. These environments have reliable connectivity and can be monitored with standard MSSP tools adapted for OT protocols. The challenges are similar to other industrial environments: legacy systems, safety-critical operations, and the need for passive monitoring that does not disrupt port operations.

Vessel security operates under fundamentally different constraints. Ships at sea have limited and intermittent satellite connectivity, making real-time monitoring impractical for much of a voyage. Navigation systems, engine controls, and cargo management systems run on isolated OT networks with limited update capabilities. MSSPs serving vessel operators need to support offline log collection, asynchronous alerting, and incident response procedures that account for the reality that a security team cannot remotely access a ship in the middle of an ocean.