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The US Coast Guard is facing increasing pressure to bolster its cybersecurity defenses within the Maritime Transportation System (MTS). A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlights critical shortcomings in the Coast Guard's cybersecurity strategy, including a lack of comprehensive planning and unreliable access to vulnerability data. This leaves the MTS, which supports $5.4 trillion in annual economic activity and over 30 million jobs, vulnerable to attacks from foreign governments, transnational criminals, and hacktivists.

The GAO audit, conducted between December 2023 and December 2024, revealed that while the Coast Guard developed a cybersecurity strategy in 2021, it lacks key components such as clearly defined national security risks, measurable targets, and an implementation budget. The report also found that the Coast Guard's system for managing cybersecurity checks on facilities and vessels does not readily provide complete information about cybersecurity problems. The GAO has made five recommendations to the Coast Guard to address these vulnerabilities.


References :

• ciso2ciso.com: Probe finds US Coast Guard has left maritime cybersecurity adrift
• The Register - Security: Probe finds US Coast Guard has left maritime cybersecurity adrift
• Graham Cluley: US Coast Guard Urged to Strengthen Cybersecurity Amid $2B Daily Port Risk

Classification:

• HashTags: #USCG #MaritimeSecurity #Cybersecurity
• Company: US Coast Guard
• Target: US Maritime Transportation System
• Product: Maritime Transportation System
• Feature: Cybersecurity Strategy
• Type: News
• Severity: Medium