Seeing is Believing – a Practical Study of Cyber Attacks on a Ship Navigation Bridge

The maritime transportation system is the backbone of global trade and the economy. At the same time, the legacy IT and communication systems onboard modern cargo ships with their integrated bridge systems are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks, as researchers have repeatedly demonstrated. Despite the growing threat, progress on securing maritime systems remains slow. One major obstacle is the protracted standardization process, which delays the deployment of effective countermeasures. Another, however, is the limited awareness – and resulting inaction – among maritime stakeholders regarding the potentially fatal impact of cyber attacks on bridge systems and navigation decisions. In this paper, we therefore compile known academic cyber attacks targeting ship IT and apply them to a representative, real-world ship navigation bridge to highlight its vulnerabilities and raise stakeholder awareness. We also share insights and lessons learned from our implementation.