Work

Maritime Industry Cybersecurity Threats in 2025: Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Hacktivism and Vulnerabilities

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background: The maritime industry, vital for global trade, faces escalating cyber threats in 2025. Critical port infrastructures are increasingly vulnerable due to rapid digitalization and the integration of IT and operational technology (OT) systems. Methods: Using 112 incidents from the Maritime Cyber Attack Database (MCAD, 2020–2025), we developed a novel quantitative risk assessment model based on a Threat-Vulnerability-Impact (T-V-I) framework, calibrated with MITRE ATT&CK techniques and validated against historical incidents. Results: Our analysis reveals a 150% rise in incidents, with OT compromise identified as the paramount threat (98/100 risk score). Ports in Poland and Taiwan face the highest immediate risk (95/100), while the Panama Canal is assessed as the most probable next target (90/100). State-sponsored actors from Russia, China, and Iran are responsible for most high-impact attacks. Conclusions: This research provides a validated, data-driven framework for prioritizing defensive resources. Our findings underscore the urgent need for engineering-grade solutions, including network segmentation, zero-trust architectures, and proactive threat intelligence integration to enhance maritime cyber resilience against evolving threats.

Source: Logistics

DOI: 10.3390/logistics9040178

Authors: Minodora Badea, Olga Bucovețchi, Adrian V. Gheorghe, Mihaela Hnatiuc, Gabriel Raicu

Institutions: Universitatea Națională de Știință și Tehnologie Politehnica București, National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics - ICI Bucharest, Old Dominion University, Constanta Maritime University

Language: English

Topic: Information and Cyber Security

Subfield: Information Systems

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,689