Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have issued advice to merchant shipping companies about the level of cyber awareness expected of ships entering UK ports.

The Department for Transport has issued Codes of Practice on cyber security for both UK-flagged ships and UK ports. These documents, which are available to everyone, provide a management framework intended to support industry in recognizing and addressing their own vulnerabilities, and to encourage them to have in place procedures that safeguard their businesses from current and emerging threats.

We work closely with the wider international maritime community to promote best practice and expertise, especially through the International Maritime Organization, who themselves have recently published guidelines on maritime cyber risk management, which will also be incorporated into their International Safety Management Code in 2021.