Marine Network Protocols and Security Risks

Marine network protocols are domain-specific network protocols that aim to incorporate particular features within the specialized marine context that devices are implemented in. Devices implemented in such vessels involve critical equipment; however, limited research exists for marine network protocol security. In this paper, we provide an analysis of several marine network protocols used in today’s vessels and provide a classification of attack risks. Several protocols involve known security limitations, such as Automated Identification System (AIS) and National Marine Electronic Association (NMEA) 0183, while newer protocols, such as OneNet provide more security hardiness. We further identify several challenges and opportunities for future implementations of such protocols.