The National Institute of Standards and Technology has collaborated with the U.S. Coast Guard and the oil and natural gas industry to develop a cybersecurity document that aims to ensure the safe transfer of hazardous liquids from marine vessels to ground pipelines and vehicles.
NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence developed the cybersecurity framework profile in an effort to help risk managers, vessel operators, cyber professionals and operations executives evaluate cyber risks related to the “maritime bulk liquid transfer†process, NIST said Thursday.
The maritime bulk liquid transfer process depends on computers to monitor sensors as well as run pumps and valves.
The profile seeks to comply with the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity that NIST published in 2014 and provides organizations guidance on security controls for information technology and operational technology platforms that include pressure, transfer, storage, emergency response, spill mitigation and vapor monitoring systems.
Lt. Josephine Long, a marine safety expert at the critical infrastructure branch within USCG’s office of port and facility compliance, said USCG plans to partner with NCCoE to create additional cyber profiles for passenger vessel, mobile offshore drilling and terminal operations.
