What connected shipping and IoT mean for maritime cyber risk.
The maritime and port sector is one of the busiest engines of global trade. Ports sit at the center of the supply chain, the place where physical goods, information, and paperwork all meet and move on toward the end customer.
That world is changing fast. Industry 4.0 technology, and the Internet of Things in particular, is turning traditional ports into smart ports and connected shipping systems. More sensors, more automation, more data moving between vessels, terminals, and shore. The upside is real. So is a new kind of risk.
The threat is already showing up in the numbers. Maritime cyber incidents jumped 103 percent in 2025 compared with the year before (SAFETY4SEA, 2025). A separate study found attacks on maritime operational technology rose 150 percent, with 87 percent of them driven by ransomware (Cydome, 2025 maritime cybersecurity report).
A Quick Look at the Industry
The maritime industry covers the whole ecosystem of ocean and sea operations, and it carries roughly 80 percent of global trade. It runs across five core areas: commercial shipping, port infrastructure, shipbuilding, offshore energy, and marine services.
A few things define how it works:
- Heavy dependence on connected infrastructure such as ports, vessels, terminals, and logistics hubs
- Constant pressure for efficiency and cost control
- A growing reliance on real time, data driven decisions
- Rising focus on sustainability and energy use
- Tight integration across many players, from shipping lines to port authorities to logistics providers
The Technology Behind the Smart Port
More and more, the sector runs on connected digital systems that link vessels, ports, cargo, crews, logistics providers, and shore infrastructure. IoT is what makes that possible, giving operators real time data and control over physical assets.
Sensors, satellites, buoys, and remote sensing generate huge amounts of operational data. That data supports vessel scheduling, cargo tracking and condition monitoring, traffic management, predictive maintenance, route optimization, energy savings, and stronger port security. When all of that comes together, you get a smart port: infrastructure, assets, and processes fully connected and exchanging information continuously.
There is also the Internet of Ships, which ties together GPS, AIS, radar and vessel traffic systems, RFID, satellite communications, and wireless networks into one connected environment. It enables:
- Real time monitoring of vessels, cargo, and equipment
- Autonomous navigation and remote operations
- Predictive maintenance
- Better fuel efficiency
This is a real shift. We are moving from traditional physical marine risk toward hybrid physical and digital exposure, where a failure in a digital system, or a cyberattack, can directly affect vessel operations, cargo handling, port throughput, and the wider supply chain.
A Case in Point: the Port of Vigo
A ransomware attack hit digital systems at Spain’s Port of Vigo, forcing authorities to disconnect parts of the network and fall back on manual cargo management for a time. The attack affected servers running cargo traffic management and other digital services, and came with a ransom demand. The IT team isolated the affected systems to contain it.
Vigo is not unusual. Ports and maritime organizations are being targeted more often, precisely because they are so important to global trade. Similar incidents have hit the Port of Nagoya in Japan, several ports across Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Portugal, and ports in Australia and the United States. When one major port stops, the bottleneck spreads through the whole supply chain.
What This Means for Risk
Operational Risk
IoT boosts efficiency, but it also deepens dependence on connected systems for critical jobs like cargo handling, vessel scheduling, route planning, and traffic management. Underwriters should look for system redundancy, manual override options, business continuity plans, and incident response frameworks.
Cyber-Physical Risk
Maritime cyber risk goes well beyond a data breach. Operational systems control navigation, propulsion, cargo monitoring, and port equipment, so an incident can cause real physical damage or shut operations down. That makes it a core exposure, not a side note.
Cargo Risk
IoT gives better visibility into cargo through geolocation and condition monitoring. For sensitive cargo, temperature controlled, chemical, or fragile, assessment should weigh sensor reliability and calibration, data integrity and security, data retention for claims, and how all of that feeds into loss adjustment.
Port Accumulation Risk
Ports are dense, connected nodes. A single failure can ripple across many stakeholders at once, creating accumulation exposure that touches several insureds, shipments, and operations at the same time. In 2025, operational continuity was affected in 42 percent of maritime incidents (Cydome, 2025), which shows how quickly one problem becomes many.
Training and Governance Risk
People are still the weak point. Thin training and low cybersecurity awareness raise the odds of an incident. Underwriters should look at training programs, incident simulation exercises, governance frameworks, and onboard security protocols.
Closing Perspective
The maritime industry is moving toward smarter, more intelligent operations, and that is a good thing. But the same connectivity that brings efficiency also widens the attack surface, deepens reliance on digital infrastructure, and raises the cost of human error.
For those of us working in cyber insurance, the takeaway is simple. Smart ports are not just an operations story. They are an underwriting story, a claims story, and an accumulation story all at once. The opportunity is to understand these exposures early and help the sector build resilience while it builds connectivity.
About the Contributor
Stephanie is a Senior Claims Representative in the Claims Department at QBE and is completing the Certified Cyber Insurance Specialist (CCIS) program, focusing on how emerging technology reshapes risk. She brings hands on experience in claims handling, cyber and technology exposure, and maritime risk, supporting insureds through complex loss scenarios.
She also shares analysis on cyber threats in the maritime and port sector, connecting claims insight with technical risk to turn complex exposures into practical, useful guidance for insurers and brokers working across global trade.
Stephanie Valentina Deazza
Senior Claims Representative · AINS, PCA · CCIS
QBE
