IACS adopts two new Unified Requirements

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has adopted two new Unified Requirements (URs) in an attempt to provide crew and ships the capabilities to effectively cope with cyber incidents that occur on computer-based systems onboard.

Technological evolution and increased reliance upon Information Technology (IT) has created an increased possibility of cyber-attacks to affect business, personnel data, human safety, the safety of the ship, and also possibly threaten the marine environment.

The new Requirements, UR E26 and UR E27, provide minimum goal-based requirements for the cyber resilience of new ships and for the cyber security of onboard systems and equipment.

UR E26

UR E26 aims to ensure the secure integration of both Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) equipment into the vessel’s network during the design, construction, commissioning, and operational life of the ship. This UR targets the ship as a collective entity for cyber resilience and covers five key aspects: equipment identification, protection, attack detection, response, and recovery.

UR E27

UR E27 aims to ensure system integrity is secured and hardened by third-party equipment suppliers. This UR provides requirements for cyber resilience of onboard systems and equipment and provides additional requirements relating to the interface between users and computer-based systems onboard, as well as product design and development requirements for new devices before their implementation onboard ships.

These URs will be applied to new ships contracted for construction on and after 01 January 2024.

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS (AVAILABLE ONLY TO SUBSCRIBERS):

UR E26 Cyber resilience of ships

UR E27 Cyber resilience of on-board systems and equipment

Rec 166 New Corr2 CLN Recommendation on Cyber Resilience