The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has introduced a new toolkit to help the maritime industry address the growing threat of “insider threats,” which refers to security risks posed by employees who may be involved in or facilitate security incidents due to ignorance, complacency, or malicious intent.
Insider threats can provide a strategic advantage to terrorists and organized crime groups seeking to exploit security weaknesses in ports and ships. In response, IMO has collaborated with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to develop the Insider Threat Toolkit.
“We face a diverse and challenging set of maritime security threats globally. A unified approach involving all UN organisations and agencies is crucial. We appreciate ICAO’s support in creating this toolkit to address insider threats in the maritime sector. It’s essential to develop new products and training to assist Member States in implementing maritime security measures,” said Andrew Clarke, Technical Officer of the Maritime Security Section at IMO.
The toolkit provides guidelines on effective security practices, including conducting background checks and vetting; implementing access control measures; performing regular patrols; employing surveillance and monitoring systems and utilising advanced technologies and artificial intelligence.
The toolkit is available for use by various maritime stakeholders, including maritime administrations, designated authorities, shipping companies, port operators, and other entities in the maritime sector.
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