First Marine Type Approval System for Cyber Enabled Components

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has released Type Approval Requirements for components within Cyber Enabled Systems on board Ships – Procedure for Network and Network-related devices.

Introduction of this type approval procedure is important, as it defines a critical point in the evolution of smart technology implementation within the marine and offshore industry – delivering an assurance system that provides confidence in the market for the supply of cyber enabled components.

Providing all the benefits of traditional type approval; reassurance on supply chain quality and robustness within the marine environment, the new procedure will also incorporate consideration to the functioning of a cyber enabled system, such as cyber security.

The type approval procedure will address:

Production quality assessment in the supply chain
Marine environment testing for cyber enabled components
Verification of the cyber functions, such as communication and cyber security

Shipyards and designers will be able to select type approved component parts to build cyber enabled ‘smart’ ship systems with a new level of confidence and quality indication. Manufacturers of components will be able to demonstrate their product as meeting LR's requirements on the above and differentiate their products in the market.

LR Marine & Offshore Innovation Strategy and Research Director, Luis Benito, said: “Type approval will work together with LR’s Cyber Enabled ShipRight document, providing type approved components to use in cyber systems, such as predictive maintenance and performance optimization.” He added, “Together this offers the complete cyber solution for the future, from components to systems to functions.”

LR has been leading in the safe adoption of digital technologies within the marine and offshore sector, and has pioneered a ‘total-systems’ approach. In February 2016, LR issued the first guidance on cyber enabled ships: ‘Deploying Information and Communications Technology in Shipping – Lloyd’s Register’s Approach to Assurance’. This identified the elements that constitute a cyber enabled ship and the activities that need to take place to ensure that cyber technology does not introduce a safety risk, effectively providing the industry with a route map to understanding the implications of digital technology.

This was followed with the introduction of the industry’s first ShipRight procedure, which details LR’s framework for accepting cyber technology at varying levels of autonomy – from ships with the most basic decision support tools to vessels that are fully autonomous – identifying the assessments, processes and considerations that need to be followed. Cyber security is addressed as one of the six risk areas studied for connected ships and requirements are included within the ShipRight Procedure; without meeting these it is not possible to certify the level of autonomy as safe. The first ships to be classed with LR’s cyber notations were delivered in May this year.

A new set of cyber security services were also introduced in 2017. Built on an easy to use model that provides clarity and allows evolution in line with emerging threat patterns and the changing regulatory environment, it is designed to help LR clients understand how cyber secure they are now and what level of security they want to achieve in the future. These services deliver cyber security gap analysis and other readiness services to owners, operators and other clients against the US Coast Guard Strategy on cyber security and forthcoming IMO regulations as well as the cyber security best practice already established in other industry sectors, such as Naval.