Cybersecurity risks weigh on shipping industry
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Who is liable when an unmanned ship causes a collision?
It’s a good question and one that has to be solved by regulators, insurers and the industry as a whole. The report shows that over 60% say it is unclear how insurers will treat unmanned ships. A similar number said there is too much confusion surrounding liability.
The two main organisations responsible for setting regulations are moving forward. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is a UN agency that regulates shipping. It has already announced plans to update the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to allow cargo ships with no captain or crew to travel between countries.
Meanwhile the Comité Maritime International (CMI) has established its own Working Group on ‘Maritime law for unmanned craft’. It will consider how international conventions and regulations can be adapted to provide for the operation of unmanned vessels on the high seas.
These are just the first steps. National and regional organisations will also have to update their rules for shipping. This is unlikely to be a smooth process especially when it comes to access to harbours and other shore facilities.
Until these are determined, it is unlikely that insurers will make any significant move to define their policies. This means that it could be years before any practical regulatory and liability framework is in place.
The same problem is evident with land based autonomous vehicles. Countries are already reviewing their motoring laws to decide what needs to change. One of the issues that has been raised regularly is ‘what happens in the event of a cyber attack?’ Is the owner, manufacturer, software developer or some other body legally responsible? So far there is no agreement on this and shipping insurers and owners will probably be guided by what is agreed here.
What does this mean?
https://www.enterprisetimes.co.uk/2017/11/20/cybersecurity-risks-weigh-shipping-industry/