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Vulnerability of Shipping, Port Critical Infrastructure, & the Impact of

Climate Change on the MTS

Terrorism is a war targeted against the US and its allies and every idea embraced by any civilized society worldwide. There is no single case that can

justify terrorism. The US and every civilized society worldwide must respond and �ght the evil of terrorism. This evil aims to destroy and threaten the

American way of life and limit our fundamental freedoms. Through terrorism, both fear and freedom are at war. Due to these reasons, the federal

government responded by developing a national strategy whose main aim is to combat terrorism both in the US and abroad. But of equal importance

is the impact of climate change on the MTS. This is not a political statement but one based on strategy.

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Conclusion

We close out this lesson with a note on climate change and the impact to ports, maritime infrastructure and supply chains. This is mentioned not to

make a political statement; far from it. This point is designed to highlight a real threat. Becker (2020), writing in Maritime Policy and Management

noted, “Climate change poses signi�cant threats to global security and trade. This special issue identi�es key challenges faced by ports and supply

chains from climate change over the next century, with perspectives from researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers who have expertise in ports,

supply chains, and natural hazards.”

The speci�cs of the threat was further captured by Becker (2020). Speci�cally:

Projected climate changes include an increase in the frequency and intensity of ‘extreme’ atmospheric events—shocks such as storms, heavy

precipitation, and heat waves (USGCRP 2017; NCA 2014); as well as longer-term changes to climatic variables resulting in ‘slow onset’ changes

like sea level rise, wave climatology, and sea-surface salinity (leading to higher rates of corrosion). In the last 15 years, attention to these issues

has increased in both the academic and practitioner spheres. (Becker, 2020)

What do you think? How should this issue be addressed? What is the long term impact on the world’s MTS and global supply chains??

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Port of LA enlists industry to fend off cyber threats

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Apr 26, 2019, 11:14 AM EDT

The proposed cyber resilience center is intended to foster a sharing of cyber threat information among supply chain stakeholders, with the Port of Los Angeles acting as a facilitator. Photo credit:

Shutterstock.com.

The Port of Los Angeles is enlisting the support of shipping lines, terminal operators, railroads, truckers, and labor unions in a collaborative effort to address cyber security threats, a strategy port stakeholders agree should be a natural outgrowth from data- sharing efforts.

“In partnership with our maritime industry stakeholders, we have the opportunity to enhance the ability of the port ecosystem to see cyber threats on the horizon and improve information sharing to help manage respective and collective cyber risk,” said Gene Seroka, Port of Los Angeles executive director.

According to the Jones Walker Maritime Cybersecurity survey released last October, there is a...

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The National Security Strategy

The National Security Strategy is considered a cornerstone document of our collective security e�ort, which uses all elements of national power.

Protecting the Maritime Transportation Systems (MTS) and its’ countless critical infrastructure components is a national imperative, as 90% of all goods

and services enter and exit the United States by water. Without a secure MTS, the U.S. economy would be signi�cantly impacted….as would our

national workforce, international in�uence, and ability to help the less fortunate.

Credit: 2022 National Security Strategy (NSS), The White House

The 2022 NSS notes: “We are now in the early years of a decisive decade for America and the world. The terms of geopolitical competition between

the major powers will be set. The window of opportunity to deal with shared threats, like climate change, will narrow drastically. Our actions will shape

whether this period is known as an age of con�ict and discord or the beginning of a more stable and prosperous future” (NSS, 2022).

The NSS regarding climate change in the MTS continues: “Of all of the shared problems we face, climate change is the greatest and potentially

existential for all nations. Without immediate global action during this crucial decade, global temperatures will cross the critical warming threshold of

1.5 degrees Celsius, a�er which scientists have warned some of the most catastrophic climate impacts will be irreversible. Climate e�ects and

humanitarian emergencies will only worsen in the years ahead—from more powerful wild�res and hurricanes in the United States to �ooding in

Europe, rising sea levels in Oceania, water scarcity in the Middle East, melting ice in the Arctic, and drought and deadly temperatures in sub-Saharan

Africa” (NSS, 2022).

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Climate Change Threats

The e�ects of Climate Change on the MTS can be found within the Panama Canal. Notes Silverstein (2022), “The Panama Canal is the only interoceanic

commerce route whose operation depends on the availability of freshwater, making it the most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of global climate

change,” says Emilio Sempris, former minister of the environment for Panama from 2017 to 2019, in a talk with this writer. “There is no better natural

solution to secure water in the Panama Canal watershed than protecting forests and planting more trees.”

Credit: Climate Change Threatens the Panama Canal. Forbes.

The 2022 NSS also focuses on the threat of domestic and international terrorism. The strategies adopted to �ght and suppress terrorism are e�ective

even though they might face a few shortcomings. From the start, these strategies aimed to �ght terrorism through ideas and arms. The enemy in this

war is neither a solitary political regime nor an individual. Furthermore, the enemy in this war appears to be a perversion of the Islamic religion...the

Islamic extremist. Terrorism is the lethal tool the enemy uses; its acts of violence are normally religious or politically motivated and are targeted at

noncombatant victims by either clandestine agents, sub-national groups, or non-state actors.

There is also a concern about domestic terrorism. From Neo-Nazi members to the Animal Liberation Front, numerous components within the port are

threatened. Fortunately, there is a well-developed security framework to address this issue. The Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 named

the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) the Federal Maritime Security Coordinator or FMSC. But there are two other agencies at the COTP

authorities are considerable. The second federal agency with signi�cant impact on port security operations is Customs and Border Protection or CBP,

which enforces import and export laws and regulations and is primarily responsible for seaport cargo inspections. The third is the Transportation

Security Administration, which mainly focuses on passenger security and port intermodal connectivity. Per TSA, “TSA o�ers expert skills and

experience in passenger screening, explosives detection, credentialing, and multi-modal security to support the Coast Guard in port security. In

addition, TSA works with the Coast Guard and other government agencies to provide subject-matter experts, share security information with the

public, and review security documents from various agencies.

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TSA

TSA also provides support by producing and distributing security training materials for passenger vessel crews and terminal employees through TSA’s

Intermodal Security Training and Exercise Program, also known as I-STEP. TSA facilitates I-STEP exercises across all surface modes to help

transportation entities test and evaluate their security plans, including prevention and preparedness capabilities, ability to respond to threats, and

cooperation with �rst responders from other entities. TSA also o�ers six maritime-related passenger vessel security training courses for the maritime

industry”.

The fourth agency within the Department of Justice, with a major stake in port security, is the FBI. Remember – the FBI leader the Joint Terrorism Task

Force or JTTF in major ports, which fuses action and information at the federal, state, and local levels. Think of the JTTF's complexities in Miami, Florida,

or Los Angeles, California.

A March 2006 report entitled “The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s E�orts to Protect the Nation’s Seaports noted the following:

The FBI, as the lead federal agency for preventing and investigating terrorism, has an

overarching role in helping to secure the nation's seaports. The FBI's responsibilities are

part intelligence and part law enforcement, including assessing the threat of maritime-based terrorism; gathering, analyzing, and sharing

information on maritime threats; and

maintaining well-prepared tactical capabilities to prevent or respond to maritime-based

terrorism.

The FBI reinforced its commitment to addressing this threat vector by establishing the Maritime Liaison Program in 2004. There are MLAs at FBI �eld

o�ces around the country that provide a critical link between federal agencies and the maritime community. The MLA program also provides the FBI

an important link with all the Maritime stakeholders.

To counter terrorism, the strategies used by the United States are accounted as good since they acknowledge the threat posed by terrorist as an

enemy. Radical ideologies and strong beliefs usually guide acts of terrorism. The national strategy for combating terrorism thus incorporates ideas of

countering and neutralizing such ideologies and has, therefore, been e�ective in �ghting terrorism instead of just killing terrorists.

The national strategy is also e�ective since it appreciates that most terrorist activities occur abroad, targeting Americans outside the US borders.

Therefore, through the national strategy for combating terrorism, the US government has continuously supported other governments worldwide in

suppressing and �ghting terrorism within their borders.

As you re�ect on your readings of past maritime events, the PSI, and the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, consider the history of port

security incidences, where we are today in protecting ports, and where we will be. Then, develop your discussion in response to the forum question.

One of the most critical takeaways from this lesson is that the nation’s 360-plus ports are vulnerable. There are national strategies in place to address

this issue, but gaps are always to be exploited.

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

PORT OF LOS ANGELES LAUNCHES FIRST-OF-ITS- KIND CYBER RESILIENCE

CENTER Center Enables Port

Stakeholders to Enhance Cyber Threat Information Sharing and Recovery Measures to Reduce

Risk of Disruption Flow

SAN PEDRO, Calif. – Jan. 24, 2022 – The Port of Los Angeles has debuted its Cyber Resilience Center (CRC), a state-of-the- art port community cyber defense solution created to improve the cybersecurity readiness of the Port and enhance its threat- sharing and recovery capabilities among supply chain stakeholders. The CRC was designed through a collaborative process with participating stakeholders and will be operated by International Business Machines (IBM).

We must take every precaution against potential cyber incidents, particularly those that could threaten or disrupt the flow of cargo,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “This new Cyber Resilience Center provides a new level of awareness for our stakeholders by providing enhanced intelligence, better collective knowledge sharing and heightened protection against cyber threats within our supply chain community.”

The past year has proven the vital role that ports hold to our nation’s critical infrastructure, supply chains and economy, underscoring that it’s paramount we secure this ecosystem,” said

Christopher McCurdy, General Manager, IBM Security Servic “The Port of Los Angeles is setting a new industry standard wit first-of-its-kind initiative to increase cyber readiness across maritime community. With IBM’s cutting-edge technologies in clo and AI fueling the CRC, we’re able to provide the marit ecosystem with the threat insights necessary to stay ahead of cy threats and improve response time.”

Envisioned as a “system of systems,” the CRC enables participat stakeholders to automatically share cyber threat indicators a potential defensive measures with each other. This collabora approach centralizes threat information for the Port’s stakehold and helps prevent cyber disruption of the supply chain. The platfo serves as a hub for the Port to receive, analyze and sh information among its stakeholders who handle cargo, such terminal operators, shipping lines, truck, rail and others, among cross-sector stakeholders who provide essential support servic and from external intelligence sources. The CRC is also available participating stakeholders as an advisory resource to assist w recovery.

The first group of approximately 20 participating stakeholders now using the new system and gaining access to IBM X-Fo Threat Intelligence and more groups are expected to join every months. As part of its operations, the CRC will be conduct tabletop exercises with participating stakeholders and provid them with annual cybersecurity training.

In 2014, the Port of Los Angeles set the maritime industry stand for cyber security when it established a Cyber Security Operatio Center designed to help protect the Port’s internal networks. T newly-designed CRC builds upon that technology infrastructure improving the quality, quantity and speed of cyber informat sharing among Port stakeholders and leveraging the CRC’s secu model to creating a more inclusive maritime community.

North America’s leading seaport by container volume and ca value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $259 billion in trade dur 2020. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and comme facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Ange Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura. The Port of

Angeles has remained open with all terminals operatio throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.



References

Becker, A. (2020, Oct). Climate change impacts to ports and maritime supply chains. Maritime Policy & Management.

https://doi.org/10.1080/03088839.2020.1800854

Federal Bureau of Investigation (2006, March) The Federal bureau of investigation’s e�orts to protect the nation’s seaports.

https://oig.justice.gov/reports/FBI/a0626/�nal.pdf

Meland, P. Bernsmed, K. Wille, E. Rødseth, Ø. Nesheim, D. (2021). A Retrospective Analysis of Maritime Cyber Security Incidents. TransNav (Gdynia,

Poland ), 15(3), 519–530. https://doi.org/10.12716/1001.15.03.04

Silverstein, K (2022, Aug 8) Climate Change Threatens Panama Canal and Global Maritime Trade.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2022/08/08/climate-change-threatens-panama-canal-and-global-maritime-trade/?

sh=5723c1974988

APUS does not maintain or control third-party websites and is not responsible for the accuracy or accessibility of their content.

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The Threat Vectors in the Port of Miami Words: 852 Pages: 3

Table of Contents

01. Possible Threat Vectors

02. Major Threat Vector

03. Critical Infrastructure

04. Conclusion

05. References

The level of maritime shipping has increased considerably during the past decades. One of the major factors for this growth was

the use of shipping containers that enables companies to decrease their costs (Haas, 2013). Haas (2013) notes that the amount

of maritime exchange reached almost 9 billion tons in 2011. For instance, almost 9 million tons of cargo entered and left the

USA through the port of Miami (Port Miami, 2016). This port is one of the major maritime facilities that has advanced technology,

including cranes necessary for containers shipment. This port is a significant commercial hub, which can make it a potential

target of some groups.

Possible Threat Vectors One of the major challenges of the modern world is global terrorism. There are always chances of military conflicts with other

countries, but these scenarios are less likely than terrorist attacks. The latter can take quite different forms as ports can be

attacked with the help of small boats, hijacked large vessels, floating IEDs, and the so-called CBRN (chemical, biological,

radiological, and nuclear) agents. Analysts claim that ports are less vulnerable than vessels in the sea, but various threats still

exist (CBRNe Portal, 2012). For example, hijacked vessels carrying chemical or radiological agents can pose a significant threat to

port infrastructure and cause casualties. However, security systems of the port of Miami are quite sophisticated, so hijacked

vessels are unlikely to enter the port area (Port Miami, 2017a). Terrorist groups will also need to have various professionals to

hijack, control, and use the hazardous cargo properly (CBRNe Portal, 2012). Terrorists’ small boat attacks are most likely to cause

quite limited damage to the infrastructure and will be detected and destroyed quite easily.

Cyberattacks are often seen as one of the central threats to ports. Clearly, the use of technology is essential for the system of

maritime exchange, which makes it quite vulnerable. Numerous cyberattacks have been successful in different areas so any

system can be damaged. However, the US government is paying considerable attention to the cybersecurity of its strategic

infrastructure. The port of Miami has effective cybersecurity strategies and technologies (Port Miami, 2017a). Therefore, it is

possible to note that this vulnerability is controllable.

Major Threat Vector CBRNE attacks pose the most serious threat to the port of Miami. The facility accepts millions of vessels annually, and it is

impossible to check all of them (Haas, 2013). The gaps in the system of cargo control are obvious as the volume of drug

trafficking is rather substantial. Thus, terrorists can load some explosives in several containers. The use of dirty bombs can

make the impact more serious especially when it comes to economic outcomes (CBRNe Portal, 2012). Terrorists can place such

bombs in several containers to make the damaged area, as well as financial losses, considerable. It is necessary to note that

casualties will not be numerous, which makes this target less attractive to terrorists who aim at causing panic. Nevertheless,

any significant damage to such maritime hub as the port of Miami can have various adverse effects on the economic well-being

of the region.

Critical Infrastructure One of the distinctive features of the port of Miami is its cranes that enabled the port to reach the cargo tonnage mentioned

above. The cranes have a lift capacity of one hundred tons (Port Miami, 2017b). Therefore, these cranes can be regarded as

critical infrastructure as the port will lose its significance if these facilities are damaged or destroyed. As has been mentioned

above, the control over the content of the containers is not perfect, and explosives can enter the port area quite easily.

Terrorists can detonate the explosives placed in different containers to increase their chances of hitting the cranes (or some of

them). This scenario is possible but can be quite easy to implement as the location of containers at different periods of time

can be traced with the help of RFID technologies. The explosives can be detonated when placed near the cranes. Terrorists can

access the area and put the explosives that entered the port in one of the containers.

Conclusion On balance, the port of Miami can become an attractive target of terrorist in the recent future. Although the possibility of wide

military conflicts and associated risks exists, terrorist attacks are more likely to occur. The port of Miami has a considerable

capacity due to the use of cranes that can handle containers. Damage to these cranes, as well as other facilities or the port

infrastructure, can result in considerable financial losses as well as certain casualties. Cyberattacks are associated with

considerable threats as the cyberworld is rather vulnerable. However, the security system of the port is quite sophisticated and

can address diverse challenges. At the same time, the control over container content is not proper. Terrorists can use dirty

bombs to cause physical damage and contamination of a large part of the port, which will potentially lead to substantial

financial losses and economic issues for the entire state. Multiple attacks on several ports can cause considerable issues to the

entire nation so these threats should receive more attention.

References CBRNe Portal. (2012). The risks of maritime CBRN terrorism – is shipping the weak link? Web.

Haas, M. (2013). Shipping as a repository of strategic vulnerability. Web.

Port Miami. (2016). 2016 statistics. Web.

Port Miami. (2017a). Cargo safety & security. Web.

Port Miami. (2017b). New Super Post-Panamax cranes. Web.