Cybersecurity for ports: the new virtual reality

Ports are critical infrastructure--our unique role in the economy of Washington (and the world) means that security is of the upmost importance to our work.

Increasingly, securing that critical infrastructure means being cyber-smart; the COVID-19 pandemic shift to a more virtual environment has only underlined the importance of understanding the basics of cybersecurity for your port.

Cybersecurity is an issue for everyone, not just your IT department. Educating yourself on cybersecurity best practices can be your first line of defense against attack. Do you need some free resources to help level up your port’s cybersecurity game? Make sure to check out these informational materials from the Office of the Washington State Auditor.

Jamie Ward of the Center for Internet Security provided a broad overview of the threats that face ports and local government from “black hat” hackers- bad actors out to disrupt and steal. He also provided a helpful overview of the free services MS-ISAC provides to local governments—many ports in Washington are already members.

Kathryn Condello of Centurylink’s National Security and Emergency Preparedness division focused on the changes that COVID-19 made to the way we work, and how much we depend on the security and availability of our internet connection.

In today’s conversation:

·         Special areas of cyberattack vulnerability for ports in Washington

·         Ways to mitigate risk of cyberattack

·         Why broadband is a necessity in today’s world

Do you need more resources on economic recovery, legal and compliance, internal port operations or health and safety related to the COVID-19 crisis? You can find today’s presentation, along with all previous presentations and information from Tuesday Roundtable speakers, on our COVID-19 response page for ports: https://www.washingtonports.org/covid19

You can listen to the whole meeting here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/611xnw82hrzswtj/2020-08-11_Tuesday_Roundtable_recording.mp4?dl=0

Do you have ideas for future topics we could cover in our Tuesday Roundtables? Email your ideas to Washington.ports@washingtonports.org