Lloyd’s Register’s certification validates Wärtsilä Marine’s cyber security measures
The technology group Wärtsilä has been awarded Lloyd's Register (LR) system-level cyber certification for its network architecture relating to Wärtsilä's integrated main and auxiliary machinery, the company said in its release.
The LR's ShipRight SAFE AL2 certification, which is with Wärtsilä's Data Collection Unit (WDCU), gives Approval-in-Principle (AiP) for the entire Wärtsilä integrated system network, rather than for any individual component. The certification is one of the first of its kind to be awarded globally.
The LR certification is highly relevant for Wärtsilä's Data Collection Unit, which as part of Wärtsilä's Data Bridge solution, is used to gather and transfer operational data to the cloud for remote monitoring. Data Bridge is a data platform developed by Wärtsilä to enable advanced analytics that provide insight into a vessel's performance. This in turn unlocks the potential for enhancing even further the vessel's operational and technical efficiency.
The ShipRight procedure defines an Accessibility Level (AL) for autonomous or remote access to the system, in this case meaning cyber access for remote or autonomous monitoring. It particularly takes into account digitally-enabled systems having remote access to onboard data. Mandatory within the AiP is a cyber-security risk assessment of the complete onboard integrated operational system.
Lloyd's Register defines 'cyber-enabled' systems as those systems installed onboard ships that have traditionally been controlled by the ship's crew, but which nowadays include the capability to be monitored, or monitored and controlled, either remotely or autonomously with or without a crew onboard. The level of cyber risk varies from system to system, and mitigation actions need to be made appropriately.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), in its Resolution MSC.428(98), has announced that by 1 January 2021 maritime administrators must have appropriately addressed cyber-security risks in their Safety Management Systems (SMS). Guidance and Standards on how these cyber-security risk controls shall be built is currently defined by classification societies.
For Operational Technology (OT) systems that provide highly integrated solutions to most of the world's marine industry today, Wärtsilä aligns in most cases with the security standard IEC 62443, as laid out by the International Electrotechnical Commission, for Industrial Automation and Control Systems, which has been developed by a global network of experts from all industry sectors Wärtsilä's Smart Marine Ecosystem approach utilises smart technologies within the areas of digitalisation, connectivity, and data exchange to create greater levels of efficiency, safety, and environmental performance.
Wärtsilä in brief:
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. In 2018, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR 5.2 billion with approximately 19,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
