American Waterways Operators Releases Cyber Risk Guide

The American Waterways Operators has released a best practices document to help the tugboat, towboat and barge industry manage cyber risk and detect and respond to cyber attacks.

The document, Cyber Risk Management: Best Practices for the Towing Industry, Version 1.0, is the product of a year-long initiative undertaken by the Cyber Risk Management Quality Action Team, a working group of the Coast Guard-AWO Safety Partnership.

The best practices are aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Cybersecurity Framework which the Coast Guard has incorporated into guidance for other segments of the maritime industry – and clarify and expand on them to make them actionable for towing companies. The document also includes information about how to conduct a cyber risk assessment and report a cyber incident.

The Quality Action Team encourages companies to take a tailored approach to cyber risk management that incorporates policy and procedures into a company’s existing safety management system. 

The U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry transports over 760 million tons of commodities annually.

The document is available here.