International Maritime Organization (IMO) has introduced a new toolkit designed to enhance the maritime industry’s ability to tackle evolving ‘insider threats’, referring to risks posed by maritime employees who might be involved in or facilitate security incidents due to ignorance, complacency, or malicious intent.
For terrorists and organized crime groups seeking to exploit security weaknesses in ports and ships, insiders can provide a strategic advantage due to their access to secure areas, sensitive information, or critical resources.
In response to this challenge, IMO has collaborated with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to create the Insider Threat Toolkit.
“We currently face an extremely diverse and challenging set of maritime security threats and risks globally. A ‘One-UN’ approach involving all partner UN organizations and agencies is critical, and we are grateful to ICAO for their strong support in producing this new Toolkit to address the threat of insiders in the maritime sector. It is crucial to keep developing new products and training in an evolving world, and to assist Member States in their efforts to fully implement all maritime security measures,” explained Andrew Clarke, Technical Officer of the Maritime Security Section at IMO.
This toolkit provides guidelines on effective security practices, such as conducting background checks and vetting, implementing access control measures, performing regular patrols, employing surveillance and monitoring systems, and utilizing advanced technologies and artificial intelligence.
The toolkit is available for use by various entities in the maritime sector, including maritime administrations, designated authorities, shipping companies, port operators and other maritime stakeholders.
