The maritime industry has seen a growing attention to cyber security risks in recent years due to an increasing number of reported incidents. Canada is not insulated from the rise of global cyber conflict. A targeted attack could severely damage Canada’s economy.
Recent reports reveal alarming statistics. One in five shipping companies faced a cyberattack in the previous 12 months. Ransomware attacks on ships increased by 150 percent in 2025.
Spoofing of GPS systems surged with 1,000 incidents affecting around 40,000 vessels per day. Targeting of edge devices—including routers, VPNs, and firewalls—soared by 800 percent.
Yet, only 17 percent of shipyards felt they had adequate in-house expertise in designing and constructing a cyber-secure vessel. Cyber incidents can cause operational, safety, and security failures that corrupt navigation or propulsion systems.
ABB plays an integral role in ensuring the safe and secure implementation and operation of systems covering ship power, energy distribution, control, automation, and monitoring. They advise customers to upgrade obsolete systems before offering full cyber security recommendations.
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