ABS Consulting Delivers Cyber Risk Services for MTSA-Regulated Facilities

U.S. Coast Guard NVIC clarifies that facilities must assess, analyze and address cyber risk to comply with existing Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) regulations

(Houston) –ABSG Consulting Inc. (ABS Consulting), a subsidiary of the American Bureau of Shipping, has launched a range of cybersecurity services to help waterway facilities throughout the United States implement a cyber risk management program to comply with existing MTSA regulations. In addition to its nationally recognized training course, the new suite of services and training solutions for MTSA-regulated facilities address the cyber risk management guidelines noted in the U.S. Coast Guard's recently issued Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 01-20. The Coast Guard's NVIC makes clear that pursuant to existing MTSA regulations, U.S. maritime facilities must address cyber security in their required facility security assessment and facility security plan.

ABS Consulting will work with maritime facilities to conduct remote or in-person assessments and develop a roadmap for integrating cyber security into existing policies and procedures, as required by 33 CFR parts 105 and 106. These services include a Facility Security Officer training course, which outlines the Coast Guard's guidance and follows the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cyber Security Framework as a best practice for establishing a cyber security program within an MTSA-regulated facility.

"More emphasis is being placed on the protection of critical information infrastructure within facilities and building comprehensive risk controls for cyber resilience to defend maritime assets," says Ian Bramson, Global Head of Cyber Security at ABS Group. "Since we began scrutinizing emerging cyber security guidelines, our experienced assessors were among the first to begin implementing cyber security using the NIST framework. Today, we provide a comprehensive range of cyber capabilities to defend the nation's ports and terminals."

ABS Consulting can help organizations map to any cyber security guidelines and build an end-to-end IT and OT cyber security program. Our marine and offshore consultants leverage over 150 years of maritime industry best practices in safety and risk management.

About ABS Group

ABS Group of Companies, Inc. (ABS Group) and its operating subsidiaries provide risk management solutions and certification services worldwide that help clients address the safety, integrity, quality and environmental efficiency of critical assets and operations. Headquartered in Spring, Texas, ABS Group operates with more than 1200 professionals across the globe, serving the marine and offshore, oil, gas and chemical, government, power and energy and industrial sectors. ABS Group is a subsidiary of ABS (www.eagle.org), a leading marine and offshore classification society.