Korean Register (KR) has completed a comprehensive cyber security survey of the chemical/oil tanker SONGA HAWK and has certified the ship to be fully compliant in all areas, the very first ship to achieve the certification.

Songa Shipmanagement manages and operates 18 chemical/oil tankers and five semi-submersible vessels. The company signed a cyber security contract (valid for five years) with KR in 2018, covering its fleet of 23 vessels.

KR conducted a cyber security audit of Songa Shipmanagement and certified the company to be fully compliant in all areas in 2019, the first company to achieve this. Two years on from the original contract, SONGA HAWK, has now been certified as ship cyber security compliant by KR, successfully passing the inspection of 81 items in 18 categories including risk management, asset management, technical security and incident response and recovery.

With this certification, Songa Shipmanagement and SONGA HAWK satisfy the international cyber security requirements as outlined by the IMO (International Maritime Organization), TMSA (Tanker Management and Self-Assessment) and SIRE (Ship Inspection Report Programme). KR will now inspect the other ships in Songa Shipmanagement’s fleet, testing their compliance, with a view to issuing further ship cyber security compliance certificates.

“As the shipping industry becomes more and more digitalized, so cyberattacks on shipping companies and ships have increased.  An effective response and comprehensive cyber security preparedness is now essential for any maritime organization,” said Park Kae-myoung, head of KR’s Cyber Certification Team.

“KR’s expert cyber security team is now expanding its technology services to include the cyber certification of newbuilds and assessment of software conformity for ships, so our customers can respond quickly and effectively to any cyber security challenge as it arises.”

In 2021, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Resolution MSC.428 (98) will enter into force, which will increase demand for company and ship cyber risk management services.

KR established its cyber security certification process in line with international security standards such as ISO 27001, IEC 62443, the NIST Framework, the IMO and BIMCO cyber security guidelines.

The classification society has provided cyber security certification services for companies and ships since 2018, and cyber security type approval services for ship networks and automated systems in compliance with IEC 62443 4-2 and IEC 61162-460 standards since 2019.