The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), together with the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), will launch the Cybersecurity for Maritime Operational Technology programme in August 2026. The programme builds on the 2024 Memorandum of Understanding^[1] between the partners to develop maritime cybersecurity capabilities and develop a pipeline of maritime cybersecurity talent for the sector.

2.        As shipboard systems become increasingly digitalised and interconnected with shore-based systems, there are increased cybersecurity risks to shipboard operations. Shipping companies will need information technology (IT) professionals who can operate beyond traditional IT security roles, with an understanding of both shore-based and shipboard systems, including navigation, propulsion, and power management.

3.        Informed by feedback from SSA member companies, the programme is designed for corporate IT professionals in shipping companies. It equips participants with the knowledge and skills to strengthen the cyber resilience of shipboard systems, including understanding threat vectors, and responding to cyber incidents. Participants will also learn to integrate cybersecurity considerations into vessel design.

4.        The two-month programme combines online learning with in-person training at the SIT Punggol Campus. It includes an applied exercise at SUTD’s Centre for Research in Cyber Security (iTrust), using the Maritime Testbed of Shipboard Operational Technology (MariOT)^[2], where participants will manage simulated cyber incidents in a controlled environment.

5.        The course will be conducted quarterly and is subsidised under the SkillsFuture scheme. About 70 participants are expected annually. More information is available at the course page.

 

^[1]Collective Efforts to Strengthen Maritime Cybersecurity

^[2]MariOT is an industrial-grade cyber-physical simulator of shipboard system