PORT SECURITYShoring Up Ports to Withstand Cyberattacks
There are more than 300 ports in the United States, employing an estimated 31 million Americans, and contributing about $5.4 trillion to the country’s economy The White House is moving forward with reforms aimed at shoring up cybersecurity at U.S. ports, some of which may already be in danger of falling under the sway of hackers linked to China.
The White House is moving forward with reforms aimed at shoring up cybersecurity at U.S. ports, some of which may already be in danger of falling under the sway of hackers linked to China.
President Joe Biden issued an executive order Wednesday assigning responsibility for cybersecurity at ports and other maritime facilities to the U.S. Coast Guard, with the goal of making sure minimum security requirements are put in place as quickly as possible.
The order also will allow the Coast Guard to conduct cyber safety inspections of facilities and ships, and even limit the movement of vessels suspected of posing a cyber threat to U.S. ports.
The changes also call for mandatory reporting of cyberattacks on maritime facilities.
“The continuity of their [U.S. ports] operations has a clear and direct impact on the success of our country, our economy and our national security,” White House Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger told reporters. “A cyberattack can cause just as much, if not more, damage than a storm or another physical threat.”
There are more than 300 ports in the United States, employing an estimated 31 million Americans. U.S. officials say those ports contribute about $5.4 trillion to the country’s economy while serving as the main points of entry for cargo from around the world.
“Any disruption to the MTS [Marine Transportation System], whether manmade or natural, physical or in cyberspace, has the potential to cause cascading impacts to our domestic or global supply chains,” said Rear Admiral John Vann, commander of the Coast Guard Cyber Command.
The executive order, Vann said, provides the Coast Guard “with clear authority to take action in the face of cyber threats.”
Already, U.S. officials have sounded alarms about more than 200 Chinese-made ship-to-shore cranes, used in loading and unloading cargo at ports and maritime facilities across the U.S.
“By design, these cranes may be controlled, serviced and programed from remote locations,” Vann said, calling them “vulnerable to exploitation.”
Previously, The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. defense officials expressed concerns that the cranes could be used by China to spy on materials being shipped into and out of the U.S.
But those concerns have only grown as U.S. law enforcement and cybersecurity officials have warned repeatedly in recent weeks that China-linked hackers have been lurking in critical systems and computer networks across the country, poised to strike if Beijing gives the order.
