White House Releases National Maritime Cybersecurity Plan

The Trump administration has released a “National Maritime Cybersecurity Plan” outlining the United States' strategy to focus on information and intelligence sharing. 

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said that President Donald Trump, in 2017, designated the cybersecurity of the Maritime Transportation System as a top priority for national defense, homeland security and economic competitiveness.

"President Trump has taken numerous steps to bolster cybersecurity measures, promote American workers, defend American technology, and lead the world in technological innovation," O'Brien added.

The MTS is an expansive network of waterways and ports that contribute $5.4T or a quarter of the United States' gross domestic product, the White House said. 

The Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration said that the military has increasingly been using MTS facilities, waterways and resources.

The Maritime Administration works with the Coast Guard and more than a dozen other federal agencies and non-federal stakeholders to advance the interests of the MTS. 

O'Brien said the cybersecurity plan details how the United States plans to protect the information technology and operational technology that MTS operators use to maximize the efficiency of maritime commerce. 

The National Maritime Cybersecurity Plan details maritime cybersecurity resources, stakeholders and initiatives aimed at mitigating current and near-term cybersecurity threats. O'Brien said that the plan complements the administration's National Strategy for Maritime Security. 

"This administration continues to defend American workers and American prosperity while strengthening our national security," O'Brien said. “Today’s release furthers the President’s successes at bridging the private and public technological and industrial sectors to benefit the American people and protect the American way of life.”