Hide and seek

Abstract

Ships use the Automatic Identification System (AIS) to identify and track other ships to avoid collisions and aid vessel traffic services. The system has vulnerabilities that could be exploited, which would have a negative impact on maritime safety. The best way to mitigate AIS vulnerabilities is to use more than one system to identify vessels. Using two systems makes anomalies more apparent that could indicate compromised systems. Secondary systems to use in conjunction with AIS include long-range identification and tracking and the authoritative vessel identification service.