Executive Resource

Maritime Cyber Readiness Checklist

Executive self-assessment of maritime cybersecurity maturity across eight critical control areas.

Use this checklist to assess your organisation's cybersecurity posture across the eight control domains most critical to maritime operators. Each area maps directly to IMO MSC-FAL.1/Circ.3, BIMCO guidelines, and insurance underwriting requirements.

1

Email Security

  • Are all corporate email accounts protected with anti-phishing controls?
  • Is email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) configured?
  • Are suspicious emails reported and reviewed consistently?
2

Multi-Factor Authentication

  • Is MFA enforced for all user accounts accessing corporate systems?
  • Are vessel crew accounts included in MFA requirements?
  • Is MFA applied to remote access and VPN connections?
3

Endpoint Protection

  • Are all workstations and laptops protected by managed endpoint security?
  • Is endpoint security extended to vessel operational devices?
  • Are security patches applied within defined timeframes?
4

Incident Response

  • Is there a documented maritime cyber incident response plan?
  • Has the plan been tabletop-tested within the last 12 months?
  • Are escalation paths and roles clearly assigned?
5

Vendor Security

  • Is third-party vendor access to systems logged and time-limited?
  • Are vendor cyber security practices reviewed during onboarding?
  • Are vendor credentials revoked immediately upon contract termination?
6

Backup & Recovery

  • Are critical systems backed up using the 3-2-1 rule?
  • Is backup integrity tested regularly?
  • Is recovery time objective (RTO) documented and tested?
7

Employee Awareness

  • Do all staff receive maritime-specific cyber awareness training?
  • Are phishing simulation exercises conducted?
  • Is training extended to vessel crew?
8

Third-Party Risk

  • Is a third-party risk assessment process in place?
  • Are critical suppliers evaluated for cyber posture annually?
  • Are cyber risk clauses included in key contracts?

Ready to go deeper?

Take the interactive assessment to receive a scored evaluation of your cyber posture with operational risk analysis, gap identification, and a prioritised remediation roadmap.