Maritime Cybersecurity Handbook 2026 by Kai London
A vessel is an industrial plant that moves, crewed by people who rotate, connected by a link that drops, and serviced by vendors who dial in from anywhere. This handbook secures that reality — ship, shore and the terminal where the two meet.
Available on Amazon. An independent practitioner guide — not affiliated with or endorsed by any regulator, flag administration or classification society.
What is inside
Shipboard systems
Bridge and navigation, engine and machinery control, cargo and ballast systems — and how they are actually networked.
Connectivity and position
Satellite links, shore connections, and the dependence on positioning and timing signals that can be degraded or spoofed.
Crew and vendor access
Rotating crews, shared accounts, removable media and remote service sessions — the routes that are genuinely used.
Ports and terminals
Terminal operating systems, cranes and gate automation, and the logistics dependencies that stop a berth.
Response at sea
Degraded-mode operation, contingency navigation, reporting lines to shore, and recovery with limited support.
Governance and assurance
Cyber risk in safety management, audits and surveys, and supplier requirements written into build and service contracts.
Who it is for: fleet IT and OT managers, ship operators and technical superintendents, port and terminal security leads, and masters and officers carrying cyber responsibility on board.
At sea there is no second line of support. The crew is the incident response team.
About the author
Professor Kai London — CISSP, CISM.
An internationally recognised cybersecurity executive, board advisor and Founder & CEO of Quantum AI Systems Security LLC, writing at the convergence of AI, governance and operational resilience. Honorary Professor and Researcher at UCL.