Port Security Threats
As other forms of infrastructure face threats, maritime critical infrastructure face threats which may be in the form of criminals, terrorists, and insiders. Ports in the United States are used to transport goods within the country and outside the United States. People within the United States, criminals and terrorists may use different techniques such as malicious software or denial-of-service attacks to expose the ports to threats which can affect maritime infrastructure. Port operations are supported by information and communication technologies that are prone to cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks leads to disruption of the flow of commerce, affect the security of public as well as facilitating the loss of valuable Fargo. This is why threats that face the critical maritime infrastructure are a concern to the United States people.
Research Study Questions
What factors make ports target for most terrorists in the world?
How will ports ensure raised security standards for the critical maritime infrastructure?
What increases the vulnerability of ports and ships to terrorist attacks?
What federal agencies are involved in Port security and what is their role in ensuring security in critical maritime infrastructure?
Are there any laws that have been put in place to ensure port security as well as minimizing threats?
Hypothesis
Several factors make ports suitable places for attack by terrorists. The factors can be an economic impact, ease of attack as well as high visibility.
Ports have to establish measures to ensure raised security standards for critical maritime infrastructures. The measures can be the use of federal agencies to ensure security for all ports in the nation.
Ports and ships are more vulnerable due to their position and ease of access by terrorists
Federal agencies that are involved in ensuring safety of ports are Coast Guard, and CBP and the two have different initiatives employed to ensure security of information in the ports
Several laws have been put in place to minimize threats to critical maritime infrastructure.
Literature Review
Ports become attractive sites for attack by terrorists because of various reasons. According to a study by Watts 2005, the reasons why ports are attractive sites for terrorists include the economic impact, their high visibility and ease of attack. He explained that ports are used to imports and exports cargo worth trillions of money, and when a terrorist manages to attack a port, it is likely that he can achieve more money at the end of the process. The slowed process of shipping and offloading create a suitable place for terrorists as they can take their time in stealing the cargo which leads to loss of products during the shipping process. Any loss of cargo creates a significant impact on the economy of a nation due to the process of paying. Any attack of ports by terrorists leads to loss of large amount of money which is hard to manage back. According to Frittelli, (2008), containerized shipment process is complex which makes it hard for the ports to ensure integrity in the process. Due to this, terrorists take advantage of the complexity which makes it easy for them to attack the ports. Containerized shipping is not owned by a single company and managing the cargo becomes hectic for the ports security. This exposes ports to threat of attack by terrorists as managing the information becomes hectic.
High visibility of ports makes them vulnerable to attacks by terrorists. Research by Watts (2005) shows that most ports are used as centres for commerce and are surrounded by large cities and centres. This exposes them to attack by terrorists as the maritime infrastructure including fuel tanks and docks become exposed to terrorists. Terrorists may come to the ports in the name of tourism or commerce which becomes a threat to the ports. The increased industrialization around the ports encourages terrorism and cyber-security which pose threats to the port security.
Ports that are used for commercial purposes are not so secure which makes them easy to attack by the terrorisms. Watts (2005) states that the ocean and seas where ports are located present several advantages to dedicated attackers. This is because the water not only provides means of transports but also acts as recreational places which harbor more terrorists that pose a threat to the maritime infrastructure. Ports are important to economic and military power which makes them potential areas for attack by terrorists. This is because terrorists readily mask movements in ports before conducting an attack which poses a threat to port security.
Measures to Ensure Raised Security Standards
To ensure raised security standards in the ports, ports should ensure proper assessment of risks that are likely to affect the port security. Sharing or responsibilities among the port’s stakeholders have been used as a way to ensure the security of ports. This is where military force is employed to minimize threats of terrorist attacks while also information used to control the movement of goods in the ports is made accessible only to required authority. Coast Guard is also used to ensure raided security standards in the ports according to Frittelli (2008). Coast guard is majorly used to address cyber-security which pose a threat to the security of the ports.
Coast Guard according to reports made in June 2014, has not made all efforts in ensuring minimal threat to ports security. It is required to develop information sharing and coordination to promote the security of the ports. This will be done by proper risk assessment of cyber-risks and establish of the sector for coordinating council (Wilshusen, 2015)
Vulnerability of Ports and Ships
Ports and ships are the most vulnerable items to threat in critical maritime infrastructure. This is because ships when in the ports are stationary and some that are moving in the port is at a low speed which makes it easy for them to be intercepted by fast-moving boats. Most commercial ships lack arms, and they have a small crew of people that cannot assist in case of attack by armed people. This makes them more vulnerable o attack by terrorists who in most cases use fast-moving boats. Most of the ship’s attacks occur when the ships are in the ports because they either move slowly or are in static mode making it easier for terrorists to steal from the ships leading to loss of cargo (Frittelli, 2008). Container shipments have a complex process for completing containerized shipment which creates a conducive environment for terrorists to attack the ships while at the port. The transfers made of the containers from one port to another create threat to the cargo goods in the container since there is increased the threat of attack by terrorists during the shipping. Crimes in maritime are also likely to be as a result of terrorists hiding weapons in containers that are transported to the ports which pose a threat to the other goods and ships in the port.
Ports are also vulnerable as they are used as recreational areas as well as economic regions. This is because trading is mostly done along the ports and due to this, terrorists take advantage of the activities along the ports to impose insecurity. Research done by Wilshusen (2015) shows that cargo theft is mostly in the ports where terrorists are among the tourists and those people trading along the ports. Terrorists use a certain method of attack to each port which makes it hard for them to be identified by the port authority.
Federal Agencies involved in Port Security
The identified agencies involved in minimizing threats to critical maritime infrastructure include Coast Guard. This is the leading federal agency in protection and prevention of attacks in the port. The agency evaluates, board and inspects all commercial ships that use the port as they approach the United States ports. This is a way to ensure they are safe and free from terrorism and to protect the United States NavyShips. Maritime Administration is another agency that enhances the security at the United States ports. This is made possible where a commercial maritime industry is protected. Transportation Security Administration was created to protect all means of transport from theft and other security issues. It also employs in the ports as they are means of transport (Chalk, 2008). Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is an agency which inspects cargoes and their containers to ensure safety and security along the ports in all ships that arrive at the United States ports are inspected to ensure the security of passengers as well as manage information that regard the ships(Frittelli, 2008).
Laws
Several laws have been created according to the research by Frittelli (2008). Department of Homeland Security was passed by the year 2002 and signed as a law in the same year. The law includes all security agencies in the United States as it works to ensure security to all ports in the United States. Another law created was Maritime Transportation Security which was signed as a law in 2002. This law was enforced to ensure that all ports, cargo and individuals working along the ports are safe. The law also ensures that inbound and outbound information is well protected as well as assigning money to improve the security of United States ports.
Methodology
The research will involve case study method where research from other authors will be used to address the questions of the research. This methodology will be the best as it will unearth reasons why ports and ships are prone to terrorism attacks. Port security is a phenomenon that is within a specific environment, and for one to understand the threats facing critical maritime infrastructure, a case study will be the best research methodology. This is where different threat cases will be examined, and ways to solve the threats will be discussed. An explanatory case study will be employed which will aim at answering why there is increased insecurity along the ports as well as the increased vulnerability of ships and ports.
Data collection methods that will be used is individual interviews and use of secondary sources to examine the threat cases that have occurred along the ports. Questionnaires will also be administrated to the sample population of people living near the ports to sample out the insecurity cases that they are exposed to when they are near the ports. All the data collected will be analyzed manually and with the use of SPSS where it will be represented graphically for future use. The common cases of insecurity will determine the strategies that will be required to enhance port security.
Analysis
I will use predictive analysis where data collected will be used to predict future outcomes of port security. Because the research aimed at identifying threats that face critical maritime infrastructure, the data collected will be used to assess the current condition of security in the ports and compare it to the future expectations of security at the ports. The trends and patterns of the data collected from the research will e compared and analyzed to see the expected future of port security. The techniques that will be used during the analysis will include statistics to see the number of threat cases reported before which will guide on where changes should be made to minimize cases of a threat at critical maritime infrastructure.
Predictive analysis will be suitable for the research as it uses variables that can be measured to predict the future of the port security. This includes the reasons that make ports and ships more vulnerable to terrorism and the cases of cyber-security reported regarding the ports. The information will be analyzed statistically to see the possibility of reduction of threats to port security in the future. The security standards that have been in use for the last years will be analyzed to see why they have failed and what measures can be set to strengthen the security standards at the ports. All the variables such as vulnerability, location, the speed of ships and other factors will e analyzed to give a clear picture of why there has been an increased threat to the security of the ports.
Findings
From the research, the assessment of the risks likely to affect the ports is not well established. This is the reason there is increased the threat of the critical maritime infrastructure because the measures set do not address all the insecurity needs at the ports. The location of ports and the speed of ships while approaching the ports have been identified as the reasons why most terrorists target the ports. Lack of proper job description among the port stakeholders also increases chances of insecurity as the individuals along the ports are not sure of their expectations towards enhancing port security. The fact that ports are used as economic centers make it easy for terrorists to target them because they cannot easily be identified by the stakeholders along the ports. Container shipment is in most cases complicated and complex since the process of shipping containers take longer which encourage terrorists to steal from the containers.
Enforcing laws such as Maritime Transportation Security have been seen as a way to ensure the security of ports and cargo in the ships. This is because the laws ensure that the ports, individuals working in the ports as well as the cargo are al safe from theft and terrorism. Information from within the port and outside the port should be handled by authorized personnel to ensure that it is protected from attack, damage or access by unauthorized personnel. Ports use a lot of information in managing the goods getting into the country and those that are leaving the country which indicates that information about the goods should be highly protected to minimize loss of cargo and other goods. Government agencies have also successfully managed to minimize threats to critical maritime infrastructure where they inspect all ships approaching the port to ensure there are no missiles that can be a threat to the port security.
Recommendations
To ensure enhanced port security, there should be increased freight visibility so that there is compliance with the regulations as well as avoiding importation of illicit goods. This will ensure the integrity of the goods that are imported and exported using the port which will be a way to minimize threat for goods using ports. Technology should be implemented which will enhance information sharing among the port stakeholders, and this will minimize access to information by unauthorized personnel. Since the ports are used to transport goods worthy of trillions of money, the port authority should strengthen the laws that ensure the security of the ports to minimize possibilities of loss of goods. Scanning of all ships and containers before they get to the United States ports should be improved to make sure no weapon gets to the port. This will be a way to enhance the security of the ports, goods and individuals who are working at the ports.
Tools for assessing the risks should be improved so that the risks are fully identified. This will help the port authority to develop effective measures to succumb threats at the critical maritime infrastructure which will ensure port and ships security. The trading conducted along the ports should be monitored closely to avoid terrorist attacks which can lead to negative impact on the nation’s economy. More security agencies should be implemented and each assigned its responsibility to ensure that ports are not subjected to security threats.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity in the maritime environment has not been addressed fully because various causes of the insecurity hare not well identified. An example is where the Department of Homeland Security failed to include cyber-related risks that affected the maritime infrastructure. Risks assessment of port security according to data presented in 2012 did not include threats regarding cyber-security and their vulnerabilities. This creates the need for a study that will unearth the threats to cyber-security in the ports as well as the vulnerabilities. The maritime stakeholders also lack national-level forum that will assist them in sharing and coordinating information in a way that port security will be guaranteed. Failure to properly allocate grants that were meant to enhance the security of the ports have also posed a threat to port security which leads to loss of valuable goods and increased risks to people.
The fact that nations Maritime ports deal with more than $1.3 trillion for cargo only, it is important to ensure security for all the cargo that passes through the ports. When one of the ports is disrupted, it leads to loss of large amount of money which affects the economy of the nation. The increased reliance on the computerized information in the ports creates the need for increased security in the ports because of the information in prone to cyber and piracy. Unless the management of ports conducts a serious assessment of risk factors affecting port security and vulnerability, any effort made by them may be of no help.