The Biden-Harris Administration has issued an Executive Order aimed at bolstering the cybersecurity of the nation’s ports, alongside a series of additional actions that will strengthen maritime cybersecurity, focusing in part on Chinese-made cranes at ports.

On February 21, President Biden signed an Executive Order to increase the Department of Homeland Security’s authority to directly address maritime cyber threats, including through cybersecurity standards to ensure that American ports’ networks and systems are secure. 

Under the Order, the U.S. Coast Guard will have the express authority to respond to malicious cyber activity in the nation’s marine transportation system by requiring vessels and waterfront facilities to mitigate cyber conditions that may endanger the safety of a vessel, facility, or harbor.

“The Executive Order will also institute mandatory reporting of cyber incidents – or active cyber threats – endangering any vessel, harbor, port, or waterfront facility,” the announcement said. “Additionally, the Coast Guard will now have the authority to control the movement of vessels that present a known or suspected cyber threat to U.S. maritime infrastructure, and be able to inspect those vessels and facilities that pose a threat to our cybersecurity. 

Additionally, the administration announced a U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Directive on cyber risk management actions for ship-to-shore cranes manufactured by the People’s Republic of China located at U.S. Commercial Strategic Seaports. Owners and operators of these cranes must acknowledge the directive and take a series of actions on these cranes and associated information technology and operational technology systems. “This action is a vital step to securing our maritime infrastructure’s digital ecosystem and addresses several vulnerabilities that have been identified in the updated U.S. Maritime Advisory, 2024-00X – Worldwide Foreign Adversarial Technological, Physical, and Cyber Influence,” the announcement said.