Welcome to a bumper issue of CTPSR’s Maritime Security newsletter. Over the last few months the team has been very busy. Please do contact us if you want to learn more about anything included in this issue.

As part of a long standing collaboration with IOM Indonesia, Dr Ioannis Chapsos was awarded funding to lead a new research project, titled ‘Transcending Borders – Strengthening Coordination, Detection and Management of Migration-Related Transnational Organized Maritime Crime in Indonesia’. The project aims to examine local key stakeholders’ understanding of migration related TOC in Indonesian waters, and support the Government of Indonesia’s efforts on enhancing multi-agency coordination and capacities in combatting it, with the involvement of maritime security agencies, coastal communities, and other relevant stakeholders. The project will run for approximately 2 years (Dec 2023 – Aug 2025), always in collaboration and with the support of IOM Indonesia, with research activities taking place in Jakarta and 2-3 other Indonesian provinces, most likely Maluku, Sulawesi and Sumatra.  

The project kicked off in early March with a high level multi-stakeholder event, where in addition to the official presentation of the project to representatives from the Government of Indonesia and key law enforcement agencies, high level officials from the Indonesian National Police, Indonesian Navy, Coast Guard (BAKAMLA) and Immigration Agency presented their organisation’s mandate in relation to the project’s scope. 

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Award (MSCA) project concludes

In February 2024 the two-year MSCA project 'STRAITSECURITY' conducted by Adam Fenton concluded. 'STRAITSECURITY: Hybrid threats to Indonesia’s Maritime Security: an assessment of cyber and cyber-physical vulnerabilities in the world’s busiest shipping lanes' examined hybrid security and emerging technology in the maritime domain and made a number of policy recommendations. It received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101029232. Full updates of the project and its outputs can be viewed here.

For more information contact Adam at: ad8938@coventry.ac.uk

As events in the Red Sea underscore the importance of the maritime domain to global supply chains, this special report from CTPSR's Maritime Security Programme examines sovereignty and security at sea in diverse regions of the world; from Asia to Africa to Europe. It sets out the background of international law as it relates to sovereignty of the oceans under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), then examines a number of specific maritime security challenges, including piracy, IUU fishing, securing undersea infrastructure, irregular migration, and cybersecurity. The report offers an up-to-date perspective on the crucial maritime element of global security threats from both state and non-state actors.

To download and read the full report click here.

Global Terrorism Index 2024: Views on countering violent extremism. A brief overview of CTPSR’s work in maritime security and beyond 

The openly available GTI report is produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), using data from Dragonfly’s Terrorism Tracker database and other sources. The 2024, eleventh edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) was published in early March and includes an expert contribution from Sir Ciaran Devane, Executive Director of Coventry University’s Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations. In his contribution (see pg 64 of the report), Sir Ciaran outlines several different strands of significant, world leading and impactful research conducted within CTPSR, such as on protective security and the management of insider risk; the public response to counterterrorism (CT) messaging; and on maritime security. Quoted in the contribution, Dr Ioannis Chapsos, CTPSR’s research lead in maritime security, notes the breadth and depth of the work undertaken by the maritime security research team, highlighting challenges including the disruption of primary shipping lanes, threats to undersea cables and offshore infrastructure, alongside risks associated with emerging technologies such as autonomous vessels. 

Earlier in the year a team from Coventry University visited the Royal Navy in Portsmouth. Here the Coventry team met with representatives from the Royal Navy’s Strategic Studies Centre and UK Joint Maritime Security Centre to discuss maritime security and pathways for potential collaboration. A range of exciting ideas were outlined and CTPSR looks forward to working to bring those to fruition in the coming months. Our thanks to the Royal Navy for their warm hospitality.

Visit to Turing Institute

In February 2024 a delegation from Coventry University’s CTPSR made the trip to London’s British Library for a networking visit with the Turing Institute’s Centre for Technology and Security (CeTAS). Topics discussed included a focus on the crucial maritime element of cybersecurity and the challenges of AI and autonomous technology, as well as security of offshore critical infrastructure. The visit identified key areas of shared research interest and discussions are ongoing for ways to develop the collaboration between our two institutions, including an upcoming workshop on AI and Societal Resilience to be hosted by Coventry University on 4-5 June 2024. For more information, or to participate, contact Dr Adam Fenton at: ad8938@coventry.ac.uk

In each issue of our newsletter, we highlight published research involving a member or members of CTPSR’s maritime security team. In this issue, we look at:

Fenton, Adam James. (2024) ‘Preventing Catastrophic Cyber–Physical Attacks on the Global Maritime Transportation System: A Case Study of Hybrid Maritime Security in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore’. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, vol. 12. You can download an open access version of the article here: https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12030510

Abstract:

This paper examines hybrid threats to maritime transportation systems and their governance responses; focusing on the congested Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) as an illustrative case study. The methodology combines secondary sources with primary data from 42 expert interviews, a 28 respondent survey, and two maritime security roundtables. Key findings were that ships’ critical systems are increasingly interconnected, yet aging IT infrastructure and minimal cybersecurity awareness among crews heighten risks. Meanwhile, regional terrorist groups have previously targeted shipping and shown considerable skill in exploiting online tools, aligning with broader calls for jihadist violence. Furthermore, opportunistic piracy persists in the SOMS with the potential to disrupt shipping. Experts confirmed that maritime cybersecurity lags behind other critical infrastructure sectors and needs updated governance. Initial International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines lack specificity but revisions and updated IMO guidance are in process, while Port state implementation of maritime cybersecurity standards varies. Crucially, information sharing remains inadequate, even as recorded attacks increase. Findings underscore that although major hybrid incidents have not occurred, simulations and threat actors’ capabilities demonstrate potential for catastrophic collisions or cascading disruption in congested waterways. Mitigating factors like redundancy and crew training are deficient currently. Some alignment between SOMS states on maritime security cooperation exists, but not on cyber threats specifically. Key recommendations include an anonymous cyber attack reporting system, reinforced training and shipboard systems, and consolidated regional frameworks. Until these priorities are addressed, the analysis concludes that hybrid vulnerabilities in this vital global chokepoint remain a serious concern.

And finally...

If you have any questions about the content in this newsletter, want to know about the Maritime Security team’s research, or wish to discuss training and consultancy services, please email: james.malcolm@coventry.ac.uk 

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