Cybersecurity risk assessment of a marine dual-fuel engine on inland waterways ship

Abstract

Increased connectivity renders the ships more cost-effective but also vulnerable to cyberattacks. Since ships are assets of significant value and importance, they constitute a lucrative object for cyber-attacks. The power and propulsion functions are among the most safety critical and essential for ship operations. Simultaneously, the use of Dual-Fuel (DF) engines for power generation and propulsion has become very popular in the recent years. The aim of this research is the risk identification and analysis of potential cybersecurity attack scenarios in a DF engine on inland waterways ship. For this purpose, we employ an adapted version of Failure Modes, Vulnerabilities and Effects Analysis (FMVEA). In our approach we demonstrate how the implementation of FMVEA can be interconnected with the existing assurance processes for maritime engines and novel developments in the field of risk theory. We also provide insights in the riskiest cybersecurity attacks on DF engine and how to reduce their risks.