Assessing Cyber-Physical Security Standards and Metrics for Next-Generation Autonomous Vessels
Deepa Rajesh, Ramesh Balasubramanian · Journal of Internet Services and Information Security · 2025
The integration of autonomous technologies in maritime operations increases the need for sound cyber-physical security. Autonomous systems and Artificial Intelligence heavily depend on interconnected systems and enhanced sensors, increasing the risk from cyber-attacks and physical damage. This research examines the body of available cyber-physical security frameworks concerning the Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS) systems, assesses the existing fragmented frameworks, and analyzes the effectiveness of new emerging metrics aimed Quantify resilience and risk within the context of the proposed frameworks. Using comparative analyses of the international cyber laws governing the maritime domain, IMO and associated guidelines, ISO/IEC standards, and sectoral maritime cybersecurity frameworks, we argue the stark realities of lacking coherent, cohesive, holistic, and real-time universal security frameworks. We apply case study and threat modeling approaches to a set of scenarios to analyze claimed vulnerabilities and test the proposed metrics in a maritime setting. The study expounds the need for internationally adopted unified standards which address the operational and environmental considerations of navigating autonomous systems in maritime domains. In this regard, the study concludes with a suggestion on how to approach the governance of security and resilience in the cyber-physical ecosystem of maritime systems in the future.