The Biden administration is announcing a series of actions on Wednesday to strengthen the cybersecurity of U.S. ports, according to CNBC.
An executive order to be signed by President Biden will bolster maritime cybersecurity by making sure all critical port infrastructure that is owned and operated adheres to international and industry recognized safety regulations. In addition to port land infrastructure, the actions require reporting of maritime cyber attacks to Coast Guard Cyber Command. The Coast Guard, which helps to control the movement of vessels that could pose a threat to national security, will share reports with the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and other government agencies covering specific regulated facilities and vessels.
A new maritime security director will also be announced.
The Biden official said that the new Supply Chain Resilience Center, announced last November, will be included in efforts to enhance port security. In addition to the new rules and regulations, $20 billion will be used to strengthen U.S. port infrastructure through the Investing in America Agenda.
One area of focus in the new port security actions is equipment that moves cargo containers off of vessels, known as remote ship-to-shore cranes. Senior administration officials cited data that estimates 80 percent of the cranes moving trade at U.S. ports are made in China and use Chinese software, leading to concern that the cranes could be used in Chinese surveillance. There are over 200 of these cranes, which include sophisticated sensors that could track container information.
These cranes have been a focus of debate among national security experts and port officials in recent years.
Over the long term, senior Biden administration officials said they would like to invest in the onshoring of port crane manufacturing.
The AAPA, which lobbies on behalf of the nation’s major container ports, has said in the past there is no evidence to the support the claims about Chinese-manufactured crane cyber vulnerabilities, characterizing the comments as “sensational.”