In a pioneering endeavor to address the challenges at the intersection of maritime applications, communication technologies, and security, the 1st IEEE LCN Workshop on Maritime Communication and Security (MarCaS) took place on October 5, 2023. The event, organized by a collaborative effort of esteemed professionals in the field, provided a platform for attendees to share groundbreaking ideas, discuss challenges, and explore recent developments.
The Gathering of Minds
Held on-site and face-to-face, the workshop attracted an impressive gathering of 40-45 attendees from across the globe. The event commenced with an opening session where the MarCaS Organizing Committee extended a warm welcome to the participants. The keynote presentation titled “A Ship Honeynet to Gather Cyber Threat Intelligence for the Maritime Sector”, delivered by Jeroen Pijpker and Stephen McCombie from NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands, set the tone for the day.
Exploring Innovations in Maritime Security
The workshop comprised two engaging paper sessions that delved into critical topics such as electronic attacks on maritime radar systems, deceptive ISAR images generation with GANs, cyber insurance in maritime transportation systems, and maritime cyber security. Participants had the opportunity to learn from the experiences shared by experts, including insights from teaching maritime industrial control systems cybersecurity courses.
A Glimpse into the Program
The workshop’s program also included additional presentations:
- Design and Prototyping of a Gateway Buoy for the Underwater-IoT by Gunnar Schneider, Fraunhofer FKIE, Germany.
- Lightweight Quantum-Safe Encryption Schemes in Underwater Scenarios presented by Tsvetelina Shabanska, NATO & NCIA, The Netherlands.
- Penetrating the Silence: Data Exfiltration in Maritime and Underwater Scenarios by Alessandro Cantelli-Forti, CNIT, Italy.
- XLab-UUV – A Virtual Testbed for Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles discussed by Konrad Wolsing, Fraunhofer FKIE & RWTH Aachen University, Germany.
The workshop concluded with a closing session, leaving attendees with a wealth of knowledge and a renewed sense of purpose in their respective fields. The event’s success was attributed to the collaborative efforts of the workshop organizers, including Jan Bauer, Ulku Clark, and Gary C. Kessler. The technical program committee, comprising esteemed professionals from renowned institutions worldwide, played a pivotal role in shaping the workshop’s content and ensuring its relevance. Aybars Oruc from Cyber Onboard was a technical committee member of MarCaS.
MarCaS 2023 stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and knowledge sharing in driving innovation in maritime communication and security. With a wealth of insights gained and connections forged, participants departed with a shared commitment to creating a safer and more resilient shipping industry through continuous research and collaboration.
For more information and detailed workshop proceedings, please visit the official MarCaS website.
Photo Credit: Prof. Karl Andersson
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