ZIM and Konfidas announce the creation of ZKCyberStar

The new company will provide bespoke cybersecurity solutions, guidance, methodology and training to the maritime industry

The ever-growing threat of cyber-attack on the maritime industry has only been magnified by the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, the industry’s ongoing digitization of its business processes, while indispensable in modernizing, streamlining and enhancing the efficiency of these processes, has increased their exposure to cyber-attack. Multiple recent cyber-attacks on the maritime industry have caused significant disruptions at great cost, raising awareness and highlighting the crucial importance of cybersecurity. According to a recent report by Cyber Risk Management, a major cyber-attack on Asia’s ports could end up costing the global economy as much as $110 billion. Other estimates predict that cybercrime could cost the world economy $6 trillion annually by 2021.

In response, ZIM is deploying its vast experience and long-standing cooperation with cybersecurity experts Konfidas to establish ZKCyberStar, a new subsidiary company offering a full range of cybersecurity services, tailor-made for the maritime industry, to increase cyber readiness and ensure business continuity in the event of cyber-attack.

ZKCyberStar will provide a suite of services to support operational cybersecurity readiness, including cyber and regulatory postures, strategy and planning, cyber awareness and executive training, incident response capabilities, supply chain risk management, ongoing threat intelligence, regulatory alerts and briefs, and more.

The ZKCyberStar team has a proven track record of success and years of experience in cybersecurity. The ZKCyberStar solution employs a unique methodology designed and developed specifically to achieve maximal readiness for and protection against maritime cyber-attack.

ZKCyberStar will be led by Ronen Meroz as CEO, Ram Levi and Eli Zilberman Caspi. Ronen is currently ZIM Global Intermodal Division Manager, an experienced ZIM senior manager with extensive knowledge of the maritime industry. Ram is an international cybersecurity expert, public speaker and advisor to global organizations on cybersecurity, and a former secretary of the Prime Minister of Israel’s National Cyber Initiative Task Force. Eli is Co-Founder and COO of Konfidas and an expert on business continuity readiness for cyber-attacks and cyber incident response management.

Eli Glickman, ZIM President & CEO: “ZIM is uniquely positioned to tackle cyber threats in our industry. In recent years, I was approached by global companies seeking advice regarding cyber threats, and I have decided to create ZKCyberStar to support and advise organizations in our industry, using our long-standing cooperative relationship with the top cybersecurity expert team of Konfidas. With the creation of ZKCyberStar, we join forces to offer the most advanced and skilled services to cope with cyber threats and mitigate the risks and costly impact of cyber-attacks. We welcome Ram Levi, Eli Zilberman Caspi and the team of professionals at Konfidas to jointly create a top-level consulting company to help the industry cope with cyber threats.”

Ram Levi, Konfidas Founder & CEO: “The maritime and logistics industries have witnessed an unprecedented rise in cyber-attacks in recent years. Those attacks serve as a wake-up call for an industry which is critical to modern trade and commerce. As we move towards heavily networked and increasingly automated systems, cybersecurity must be a top priority. Our unique partnership with ZIM, a global leader in container shipping, will enable ZKCyberStar to provide strong client-driven cybersecurity solutions with global expertise and implementation.”