Cyber Risk in Maritime Operations (in-person)

Cyber Risk in Maritime Operations (in-person)

Palmerston Lecture Theatre, The SparkSouthampton
Friday, Jan 16, 2026 at 6:30 pm GMT
Overview

Find out how cyber risks appear in today’s maritime operations and shares ways to boost awareness and resilience across ship and shore teams

This session examines how cyber risks appear in today’s maritime operations and shares ways to boost awareness and resilience across ship and shore teams. It draws on the presenter's published research on piracy-related cyber exposure, vulnerabilities in remote autonomous ships approaching ports, and cyber threats to Arctic SAR operations, along with preliminary findings from ongoing studies with ship management organisations and UK–Turkish maritime students. With a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) perspective, the session explains how attackers identify vulnerable targets, exploit human and organisational weaknesses, and escalate disruption in operational settings. Using anonymised real ship-hacking incidents, it highlights practical warning signs, common decision-making errors, and low-cost actions, such as self-evaluation practices and education standards that strengthen cyber awareness and reduce operational risk in the maritime sector.

Find out how cyber risks appear in today’s maritime operations and shares ways to boost awareness and resilience across ship and shore teams

This session examines how cyber risks appear in today’s maritime operations and shares ways to boost awareness and resilience across ship and shore teams. It draws on the presenter's published research on piracy-related cyber exposure, vulnerabilities in remote autonomous ships approaching ports, and cyber threats to Arctic SAR operations, along with preliminary findings from ongoing studies with ship management organisations and UK–Turkish maritime students. With a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) perspective, the session explains how attackers identify vulnerable targets, exploit human and organisational weaknesses, and escalate disruption in operational settings. Using anonymised real ship-hacking incidents, it highlights practical warning signs, common decision-making errors, and low-cost actions, such as self-evaluation practices and education standards that strengthen cyber awareness and reduce operational risk in the maritime sector.

Dr Hristos Karahalios SFHEA is a Senior Lecturer at Southampton Solent University and a maritime specialist with over 20 years of experience in senior management roles in safety, security, and quality assurance for ship and shore operations. As a Certified Ethical Hacker, his more recent work focuses on cyber risk from ship digitalisation and operational resilience in maritime settings. Building on his peer-reviewed research with more than 27 publications, he leads international cooperation projects with universities and maritime organisations worldwide, helping turn research into practical, risk-based maritime solutions. He also serves as Lead Guest Editor for a special issue of Sustainability and is an active peer reviewer for 20 journals, having completed 94 reviews.

This lecture is a hybrid lecture - if you would like to attend the Zoom lecture please follow the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cyber-risk-in-maritime-operations-zoom-tickets-1978411166055?aff=oddtdtcreator

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Highlights

  • In person
  • Doors at 6PM

Location

Palmerston Lecture Theatre, The Spark

Southampton Solent University

East Park Terrace Southampton SO14 0YN

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RINA & IMarEST Southern Joint Branch
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