NYK Group accredited by ClassNK for cybersecurity management

Today, NYK Group subsidiary NYK LNG Shipmanagement Ltd. (LNGSM) and LNG carrier Pacific Mimosa, managed by LNGSM, were accredited by Class NK for the ship-management company’s Cybersecurity Management System (CSMS). This is the first cybersecurity certification conducted by Class NK.

The NYK Group’s medium-term management plan, "Staying Ahead 2022 with Digitalization and Green," emphasizes digitalization and green initiatives to further enhance safety and efficiency. While promoting digitalization and ship IoT, NYK has been strengthening cybersecurity measures throughout the company, positioning cybersecurity as one of the group's most urgent tasks.

The 98th session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC98) approved guidelines on maritime cyber-risk management in June 2017. The committee recommended that a description of cyber-risk management be included in the safety management systems (SMS manual) of shipowners and ship-management companies, thereby encouraging strengthened measures against cyberattacks internationally.

In accordance with Class NK’s CSMS guideline, NYK has revised LNGSM’s SMS manual to include measures related to cybersecurity — i.e., work procedures to prevent cyber incidents and to respond to incidents after they occur. The revised manual was then evaluated for being consistent with the CSMS guidelines in terms of the implementation of cybersecurity policies and risk assessments. On December 16, the certification was awarded to LNGSM by Class NK at NYK’s head office in Tokyo.

The NYK Group plans to strengthen cyber-risk management for other LNG carriers and other cargo vessels. The purpose of obtaining this certification is to strengthen security management through human operations (software). Together with hardware measures such as systems that NYK and Dualog in Norway are currently developing to monitor and manage the security condition of onboard equipment and ship-to-shore communications, NYK will strengthen its cyber resilience and make its operations safer.

In March 2019, ClassNK released its CSMS, which provides guidance on ensuring, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving the cybersecurity management systems of companies and ships with the goal of safe navigation. CSMS includes management measures regarding protection against cyber risks in the navigation stage.