Marine Insurance Broker Announces Cyber Seminars for Marine Sector

BIRMINGHAM, U.K. - Jan. 15, 2018 - PRLog -- Marine Insurance Specialists Insurance Risk & Claims Management (IRCM) has launched a new cyber security awareness campaign.  Targeting marine-based businesses and owners of larger yachts the new initiative comes in the wake of some high-profile cyber-attacks and ahead of new predicted threats for the year ahead.

Speaking at the London Boat Show Mark Elcocks, Specialist Risks Consultant with IRCM, said "It has become evident over the past year or so that Marine businesses have been slow to grasp the level of threat confronting them from cyber-criminals.  Whilst much publicity has been given to the huge losses suffered by Maersk in 2017, the fact is that last year around half of all small businesses suffered some form of cyber-attack.

With ransomware attacks being particularly prevalent the implications for small businesses in the Marine Sector are extreme, both with regard to their ability to continue to trade following an attack and, with regard to potential fines and penalties that could arise following a data breach."

Despite this scenario research shows that almost 75% of business owners believe they will not be affected by a cyber-attack, which can only mean cyber-criminals will only continue to profit through their exploitation of compromised systems until businesses invest in upgrading their IT infrastructures.  It is against this backdrop that IRCM has announced their programme of seminars.

"Education is the key driver in getting marine businesses to engage with the concept of cyber-defence" said Mark "so through our partners in this project we will be covering typical cyber-related hazards, including a live demonstration hack, as well as showing businesses how they can manage their exposures and minimise losses in the event of an incident."
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The seminars, which are free to attend, will also be available to owners of yachts and/or their management companies.  "Much has been made recently about potential cyber-threats to larger yachts, either through the possible hi-jacking of on-board systems, or stealing data of guests through Wi-Fi connections," Mark went on to say, "Last year's Monaco Superyacht Show saw a spoof cyber hijacking of a superyacht as a marketing exercise which prompted much debate on the security of on-board electronics and it makes sense to open the seminars up to the Yacht and Superyacht Sectors."

Marine-based businesses or individuals interested in attending a cyber-crime awareness seminar with IRCM should contact Mark Elcocks on 01902 796 793 or at markelcocks@marineinsurance-ircm.co.uk