zoomImage Courtesy: LR

Loyd’s Register (LR) has released type approval requirements for components within Cyber Enabled Systems on board ships – a procedure for network and network-related devices.

According to LR, this type approval procedure defines a critical point in the evolution of smart technology implementation within the marine and offshore industry – delivering an assurance system that provides confidence in the market for the supply of cyber enabled components.

The new procedure will also incorporate consideration to the functioning of a cyber enabled system, such as cyber security.

The type approval procedure will address production quality assessment in the supply chain, marine environment testing for cyber enabled components, verification of the cyber functions, such as communication and cyber security.

“Type approval will work together with LR’s Cyber Enabled ShipRight document, providing type approved components to use in cyber systems, such as predictive maintenance and performance optimisation,” Luis Benito, LR Marine & Offshore Innovation Strategy and Research Director, said.

“Together this offers the complete cyber solution for the future, from components to systems to functions,” he added.

In February 2016, LR issued the first guidance on cyber enabled ships, which identified the elements that constitute a cyber enabled ship and the activities that need to take place to ensure that cyber technology does not introduce a safety risk.

This was followed by the introduction of the industry’s first ShipRight procedure, which details LR’s framework for accepting cyber technology at varying levels of autonomy, identifying the assessments, processes and considerations that need to be followed. Cyber security is addressed as one of the six risk areas studied for connected ships and requirements are included within the ShipRight Procedure; without meeting these it is not possible to certify the level of autonomy as safe. The first ships to be classed with LR’s cyber notations were delivered in May this year.

A new set of cyber security services were also introduced in 2017. It is designed to help understand how cyber secure they are now and what level of security they want to achieve in the future. These services deliver cyber security gap analysis and other readiness services to owners, operators and other clients against the US Coast Guard Strategy on cyber security and forthcoming IMO regulations as well as the cyber security best practice already established in other industry sectors, such as naval.