Can ships be hacked?

This analysis examines how modern ships—particularly container, cruise, and dynamic positioning vessels—can be impacted by cyber attacks that target power management, integrated monitoring/control systems, and poorly segmented networks, potentially causing blackouts and operational disruption even if full remote takeover is unlikely. It explains system dependencies (PMS, IAMCS/IMCS, SMCS, DP), recovery challenges during blackouts, and the human-in-the-loop mitigations, while emphasizing that remote support connections and weak segmentation expand the attack surface. The report contrasts SRtP (recovery-focused) and DP (prevention-focused) paradigms, notes real-world blackout incidents, and concludes that regulations and crew training lag in accounting for active attackers, creating meaningful operational risk.