Introduction

A modern ship is an extremely sophisticated piece of engineering, due to both its size and functional complexity. Typically, a ship consists of a broad range of machining including main and auxiliary engines, generators, pumps, steering gears and other mechanical equipment. The crew inhabit the accommodation area, and the navigation bridge is located on top of the superstructure. Ships are built at the shipyards, and because of their size and technical difficulty, they have to be carefully designed before the building starts – a work which takes months or even years to complete. Due to this size and complexity ships have a long life, with many systems being upgraded or replaced over the life of the superstructure.

Many of the systems described above have an information technology component, and in the last few decades they have become increasingly connected to both public and private computer networks. This next video will give a very brief introduction into this, although we expect most people taking the MariMOOC have a maritime background and are very familiar with vessel systems.

In addition to the systems outlined in the above video, such as propulsion, navigation and communication, IT has also been used extensively through vessels in a range of other roles. The video below explores some of the key areas that IT is used to monitor the state of the vessel and its environment.

Industrial Control Systems

Many shipboard systems are no longer considered standalone single task systems, but are connected to not just systems on board, but sometimes those ashore. These connected systems are commonly referred to as being Industrial Control Systems (ICS). This term refers to a collection of individual control systems and other hardware which work together to automate or operate industrial processes. The goal of ICSs is to make daily operations more efficient and autonomous, with minimal input from human workers. Such systems also facilitate simple connections data acquisition systems enabling analysis and forecasting of performance.

This next video will explore the concept of Industrial Control systems and the differences between Operational Technology systems and Information Systems.

Operation Technology Risks

So while there are currently many innovative technology companies providing shipboard solutions to the maritime industry, historically the industry has lagged behind other shore based industries in adoption and governance of new technologies. The global focus on cyber security over the last few years has seen it reach prominence in maritime trade journals and led to activity in the development of guidance and regulation. The next section will explore this, however, prior to delving into this the next video below will introduce us to thinking about cyber risks that are present within the maritime environment. The Cyber Security module will talk about cyber risks more, however this video will discuss them in relation to their likely impact on a vessel.

Conclusion

Ships are connected. They are becoming more connected and have a likely autonomous future. This section has attempted to draw our attention to the systems onboard vessels that have an IT component to them. Much of our operational technology is now connected technology. MariMOOC as a whole is aiming to educate you on the fundamentals of how computers function within a maritime context with particular attention to new risks we face through their increased connectedness. As such this section was more of a context setting, as we expect most people who complete MariMOOC already have some maritime experience and are not needing (or wanting) lengthy explanations of shipboard systems. The next section will give us a brief overview of the cyber regulation that is present within the industry.