Coast Guard issues updated Cyber Strategic Outlook

The U.S. Coast Guard recently released an updated Cyber Strategic Outlook as a means of addressing increased maritime system cyber-attack threats against the economy and security.

“The Coast Guard is taking important and necessary steps to increase safety and security where physical and cyber threats converge,” Adm. Karl L. Schultz, commandant of the Coast Guard, said. “We maintain strong relationships with our U.S. port partners; we hold leadership roles on Area Maritime Security and Harbor Safety Committees; and we have the technological expertise to integrate cyber awareness and resilience within the Marine Transportation System.”

The Cyber Strategic Outlook seeks to devise a manner of meeting cyber domain challenges in environments where threats to information and operational technology systems exceed those from the traditional physical domains of air, sea, land, and space.

According to the Coast Guard, cyber-attacks represent one of the most significant threats to America’s economic and military power since World War II, citing exploitation of Coast Guard networks and information, attacks on maritime critical infrastructure, and adversarial endeavors designed to undermine democratic processes.

The Cyber Strategic Outlooks seeks to ensure the Coast Guard is mission-ready in cyberspace, protects the Marine Transportation System in cyberspace, and identifies and combats adversaries throughout cyberspace.