The Round Table (RT) of the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Intercargo and INTERTANKO are developing standards and guidelines to address cyber security at sea.

"The standards under development are intended to enable equipment manufacturers, service personnel, yards, owners and operators, as well as crew, to ensure their shipboard computer systems are managed securely and kept up-to-date to protect against the ever-growing threat from exploitation by criminals," said BIMCO Secretary General Angus Frew.

Protection against malicious attacks on computer based systems on board ships is now nearing the top of the agenda for shipping organisations worldwide, reports London's Tanker Operator.

The UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has already received calls for action and the insurance

industry repeatedly lists this issue as one for concern. The Round Table has made a submission to the IMO on this issue outlining the steps taken by the industry to address any vulnerabilities.

The vulnerabilities can be numerous and the threats imminent - the question of protection is a complex set of issues and not just about operating a firewall on a ship or installing virus scanning software on the on board computers.

All of the major systems on a modern ship are controlled and monitored by software, including the main engine, steering and navigation systems, and the ballast water and cargo handling equipment.

To address this problem, the RT said that it is working with industry partners on a number of complementary projects to develop standards and guidelines to address the cyber security issues.