Maritime Security, Defence and Risk
Maritime security portal: the ISPS Code, piracy and armed robbery, Best Management Practices, stowaways, sanctions and the dark fleet, cyber risk and war risk.
This portal covers threats to ships and how they are controlled: the ISPS Code and SOLAS Chapter XI-2, piracy and armed robbery, Best Management Practices, stowaways and smuggling, sanctions and dark-fleet practice, cyber security at sea, naval forces and convoy operations, and war risk.
The governing instruments are SOLAS Chapter XI-2 with the ISPS Code, UNCLOS Articles 100 to 107 on piracy, the SUA Convention 1988 and its 2005 Protocol, and the IMO guidance on maritime cyber risk management. Incident reporting runs through the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre and the regional reporting centres.
Chokepoint geography belongs to Maritime Geography, Routes and Chokepoints, with the security overlay here; war-risk insurance law is cross-linked from Maritime Law and the Law of the Sea.
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- Maritime Security and Risk: Threats, Law and Controls
Maritime security covers piracy, terrorism, stowaways, smuggling, mines, GNSS interference, cyber and sanctions evasion: the law, ship controls and insurance.
- ISPS Code: international ship and port facility security
The ISPS Code is the IMO framework mandating ship and port security plans, three threat levels, and certified security officers since 1 July 2004.
- Maritime piracy and Best Management Practices
Maritime piracy, its legal definitions under UNCLOS and SUA, historical waves, naval responses.
- Maritime Cyber Security and Resilience
How ships manage cyber risk: MSC.428(98) and the ISM Code, MSC-FAL.1/Circ.3/Rev.4, IACS UR E26 and E27, IEC 62443, shipboard OT, GNSS spoofing, USCG and NIS2.
- War Risk and High-Risk Area Transit
How JWC Listed Areas, war-risk cover, CONWARTIME 2025, IBF crew rights, BMP Maritime Security and UKMTO reporting govern a transit of a high-risk area.
- SUA Convention 1988 and 2005 Protocols
The SUA Convention 1988 and 2005 Protocols: ship-related offences, Article 6 jurisdiction, prosecute or extradite, and Article 8bis boarding of suspect ships.
- Warships and Naval Vessels: Definition, Classes, Design
How UNCLOS Article 29 defines a warship, how frigates, destroyers, carriers and submarines are classed, and how naval hulls are built to survive damage.
All articles in this portal
11 articles, plus 90 in preparation.
- ISPS and Port-Facility Security: The Regime
- ISPS Code: international ship and port facility security
- Maritime Cyber Security and Resilience
- Maritime piracy and Best Management Practices
- Maritime Security and Risk: Threats, Law and Controls
- SOLAS Chapter XI-2: Maritime Security and ISPS Code
- Stirling Air-Independent Propulsion for Submarines
- SUA Convention 1988 and 2005 Protocols
- War Risk and High-Risk Area Transit
- Warships and Naval Vessels: Definition, Classes, Design
- Warships and Rescue at Sea: State Vessels in Maritime Law