UNO Researchers at Forefront of Cybersecurity in American Ports

Cybersecurity in American ports has become a pressing concern in recent years as the digitization of maritime operations has increased vulnerability to cyber threats. On Feb. 21, President Biden signed an executive order aimed at strengthening the government's capacity to address cybersecurity threats within the maritime domain. This move comes amid growing apprehensions regarding potential efforts by cyber-criminals to disrupt vital infrastructure networks in the United States.

While there has been increased national attention to the issue, researchers at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) have already been examining the implications of cyber-attacks on ports and what it means for maritime security.

George Grispos, Ph.D. and William Mahoney, Ph.D., professors at UNO’s College of Information Science &Technology (IS&T), published the scholarly article, Cyber Pirates Ahoy! An Analysis of Cybersecurity Challenges in the Shipping Industry, which was included in the Journal of Information Warfare: Volume 21, Issue 3, in Summer 2022.

Grispos and Mahoney have been at the forefront of cybersecurity research with research spanning multiple Fortune 500 organizations and law enforcement agencies. Mahoney contributes expertise in cybersecurity, with a particular emphasis on critical infrastructure equipment, while Grispos brings a versatile approach to the research.

There are numerous ways that attacks can be launched against the technology used on ships and at ports. On ships, navigation systems and automatic identification systems can be compromised by fake data. Similarly, at ports, equipment such as cargo-loading cranes, power systems, and other transportation infrastructure can also be vulnerable to attacks.

"You can’t hold some of these technologies at fault since many, NavTex for example, use very old and inherently insecure systems,” said Mahoney. “However, automated loading and offloading, one of the many potentially vulnerable systems at ports, use more modern technologies and yet, are still not designed to be secure.”

With the Biden administration's heightened focus on national security and reinforcing protection measures against potential cyber-attacks that are targeting ports and shipping infrastructure, the work of Grispos and Mahoney gains particular significance.

Their research focuses on the vulnerabilities present in both onboard systems and at shipping and receiving ports, highlighting potential weaknesses such as false data manipulation in ship navigation systems and GPS spoofing attacks on port infrastructure. It also analyzes how cyber-attacks affect different systems and their consequences.

“Vulnerabilities exist due to the use of antiquated standards and equipment, the lack of a security mentality when shipping systems are designed, and the availability of capable exploits which take advantage of these shortcomings,” said Grispos.

UNO is designated by NSA/CISA as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and Cyber Operations based on programs of study available as part of the Cybersecurity degree program.