ONBOARD Magazine summer 2021

the humans who operate them) do present deliciously exploitable
vulnerabilities. The problem, however, with an approach that
leverages fear, uncertainty, and doubt, is that it is no less
exploitative than the threats it purports to mitigate.
In a previous life, I spent considerable time engaging with, influencing
and yes - exploiting - insurgent and terrorist commanders. The
same subtle, yet elegant, methodologies proved equally effective in
interactions with Generals and Ministers, as we sought to guide
them towards effective, ethical strategic decisions. Essentially,
we were using our expertise to both penetrate our adversaries’
defences, and to ‘sell’ the means to do so to our superiors. We
never lost sight, however, that the role of expert is to provide
clear, unambiguous counsel, framed by a moral code and subject
to external checks and balances. Yet, just as a market once
developed around PFSO audits, following maritime tragedies in
the mid 2000s, the same sense of ‘never letting a good crisis
go to waste’ appears to have resurfaced.
Of course, one must not denigrate the extraordinary capabilities
of the many excellent providers in the cyber security arena, nor
should one deny that the maritime cyber risk environment is very
real (it is), with significant consequences for its victims. The
danger, however, is that seafarers are increasingly caught in the
middle of an arms race between malicious actors and enterprising
countermeasures providers. One either risks non-compliance
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