Dark side of AI exposes maritime cyber training gap, warns SmartSea

AI is promising enormous benefits for the maritime industry. However, as shipping embraces digitalization, seafarers are not being trained at the same pace as the technology, warns Kris Vedat, CEO of maritime technology company, SmartSea.

SmartSea is witnessing an increase in phishing attempts, suspicious digital activity and attempted cyberattacks targeting maritime organizations, as cybercriminals use AI to make attacks more convincing and harder to detect. The company believes the International Maritime Organization should formally table cyber awareness as a priority within STCW discussions, with the aim of establishing a global baseline of cyber competence for seafarers.

As vessels become more connected and reliant on digital systems, seafarers are increasingly exposed to cyber risks that can affect navigation, communications, operational technology, commercial activity and crew welfare. However, cyber awareness and digital resilience remain largely absent from the mandatory training received by seafarers at the start of their careers.

Seafarers and shore-based teams routinely receive operational instructions, process documentation, respond to supplier requests and use digital platforms. SmartSea warns that these ordinary workflows are increasingly being targeted by cybercriminals using more advanced and convincing methods.

Mr. Vedat said: “AI is changing the nature of maritime cyber risk and training standards need to keep pace. Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue. It is now an integral part of safe and efficient vessel operations. Every seafarer does not need to become a cybersecurity specialist, but they should understand the basics of cyber hygiene and incident reporting. These are now part of the operating environment for modern shipping.”

AI is already being used to create more sophisticated phishing emails, realistic digital identities, cloned voices and manipulated video content. These tools make it easier for attackers to exploit the trust-based communications that underpin day-to-day maritime operations.

Mr. Vedat added: “The maritime industry has always adapted its training standards to reflect changing risks. As digital technologies become more embedded in vessel operations, cyber awareness should be considered part of that same evolution. Adding cyber awareness to STCW Basic Training would help create a consistent global standard. It would also send an important signal that cyber resilience is now inseparable from maritime safety.”

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Maritime Cybersecurity Rule has already introduced role-specific cybersecurity training requirements for personnel with access to IT or operational technology on U.S.-flagged vessels and facilities. SmartSea says this is a positive step, but highlights the need for a wider international approach covering crews on internationally flagged vessels.

Mr. Vedat said: “Technology alone will not solve maritime cybersecurity. A well-trained workforce remains one of the industry’s strongest lines of defense. The people on board and ashore are often the first to spot when something does not look right, but they can only do that effectively if they have been trained to recognize the warning signs.”

SmartSea is urging shipowners, managers, training providers, regulators and industry bodies to work together to ensure maritime training standards reflect the realities of increasingly digital vessel operations.