Silobreaker Supports NATO CCDCOE with New Report on Rising Cyber Threats to Maritime Port Infrastructure
Silobreaker, a recognized leader in security and threat intelligence solutions, has announced its pivotal contribution to a newly published policy brief by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). The report, titled “Addressing State-Linked Threats to Critical Maritime Port Infrastructure,” offers a timely and in-depth assessment of cybersecurity vulnerabilities affecting ports across NATO member states and partner nations.
The research, informed in part by Silobreaker’s proprietary data, analytical tools, and threat intelligence expertise, delivers crucial insights into the evolving digital threat landscape targeting maritime infrastructure—an increasingly critical component of both global trade and military logistics.
Ports: Strategic Gateways Now Under Siege in Cyberspace
Maritime ports, long considered critical infrastructure for economic and logistical operations, are now becoming prominent targets in the cyber domain. Handling over 80% of the world’s trade, ports function as the connective tissue of global commerce and military deployment. Yet despite their physical fortification and operational centrality, many remain digitally vulnerable.
The CCDCOE’s brief underscores that cyberattacks against port infrastructure are not merely speculative threats. They are real, frequent, and increasingly sophisticated. The report’s findings reveal that nearly all of the surveyed countries have experienced cyber incidents impacting port infrastructure over the past five years. Many of these breaches involved access control systems, vessel traffic management platforms, and cargo tracking technologies—all of which are essential to maintaining operational continuity and national security.
A Multi-Faceted Threat Environment
The brief categorizes the threat landscape into three primary actor groups:
- State-Linked Cyber Threat Actors:
These groups, often backed directly or indirectly by nation-states such as Russia, China, and Iran, have been linked to sophisticated operations aimed at espionage, infrastructure disruption, and establishing digital footholds for future conflict scenarios. The report notes that these actors are likely to prioritize maritime targets that intersect with military mobility, energy supply lines, or diplomatic interests. - Financially Motivated Criminal Syndicates:
Ransomware attacks targeting port authorities and logistics operators have surged in frequency and impact. These groups often exploit vulnerable software or social engineering vectors to encrypt systems and demand multimillion-dollar payments. Such attacks have caused significant delays, supply chain bottlenecks, and reputational damage. - Politically Motivated Hacktivists:
Operating without direct state sponsorship but often in ideological alignment with nation-state narratives, hacktivist groups have launched disruptive campaigns aimed at defacing websites, exfiltrating sensitive data, or temporarily halting port operations to create political pressure.
What unites these actors is their growing ability to exploit the cyber-physical nexus of maritime operations—where digital systems control physical movements of goods, people, and military assets.
Silobreaker’s Intelligence Contributions
Silobreaker played a crucial role in shaping the report’s threat landscape analysis. Leveraging its intelligence platform, Silobreaker aggregated and contextualized threat data from a wide variety of sources including deep and dark web forums, state media, malware repositories, and open-source intelligence (OSINT).
This helped the CCDCOE develop a holistic picture of how cyber threats are evolving within the maritime context. Specific insights contributed by Silobreaker included:
- Identifying emerging ransomware strains targeting shipping logistics.
- Mapping campaigns by Russian and Chinese-linked APT groups aimed at NATO-aligned infrastructure.
- Highlighting trends in supply chain vulnerabilities, including risks introduced by third-party port technology vendors.
- Tracking online chatter and coordination among hacktivist groups planning cyber-attacks against European ports.
According to Silobreaker CEO Kristofer Mansson, “Our partnership with NATO CCDCOE reflects the growing recognition that actionable threat intelligence must bridge the gap between military strategy and real-world cyber risk. The maritime sector is a critical weak point, and defending it requires a layered and coordinated response informed by the best available intelligence.”
Policy Gaps and Strategic Blind Spots
A significant takeaway from the report is that NATO’s current Alliance Maritime Strategy, while comprehensive in traditional naval domains, lacks a modern framework for addressing cyber threats. Given that most ports fall under civilian jurisdiction, this creates a strategic blind spot where NATO’s defensive posture may be misaligned with the emerging threat environment.
The report notes that while naval forces have robust cybersecurity capabilities, these do not always translate to the civilian port operators who manage the majority of maritime trade. As a result, there is often fragmentation in defense, with private-sector stakeholders under-equipped to handle advanced cyber campaigns that may have military implications.
Moreover, the lack of real-time intelligence sharing, unified standards, and coordinated incident response protocols exacerbates the risks. Many port authorities operate in informational silos, disconnected from national cybersecurity agencies or NATO’s digital command structures.
Key Recommendations: Building a Resilient Maritime Cybersecurity Framework
To address these challenges, the CCDCOE’s report lays out several actionable recommendations, calling for a multi-layered, cross-sectoral approach to securing maritime infrastructure:
- Revise NATO’s Maritime Strategy to Include Cybersecurity Objectives:
The strategy must reflect the increasing convergence of physical and digital threats and prioritize the defense of port infrastructure accordingly. - Establish Structured Intelligence Sharing Mechanisms:
A dedicated NATO-wide threat intelligence network, inclusive of civilian port operators, would improve situational awareness and collective response capabilities. - Create NATO-Port Cybersecurity Liaison Positions:
These roles would serve as a direct conduit between NATO’s cyber defense commands and civilian stakeholders, ensuring information flow and coordination during peacetime and crises. - Launch International Maritime Cybersecurity Working Groups:
Regular collaboration between NATO allies, industry experts, and port authorities will help standardize best practices, share lessons learned, and develop interoperable defense measures. - Support Capacity Building and Training:
Investing in the cybersecurity upskilling of port personnel, as well as tabletop exercises involving military-civilian coordination, will be essential in elevating baseline readiness.
Strengthening a Fragile Frontline
The intersection of maritime infrastructure and cyber threats represents one of the most urgent challenges facing NATO and its allies. With geopolitical tensions rising and hybrid warfare tactics becoming more commonplace, ports are no longer just economic assets—they are strategic targets.
The CCDCOE’s policy brief, enriched by Silobreaker’s intelligence, provides a much-needed foundation for understanding the scope of the threat and charting a path forward. However, implementation will require political will, cross-border collaboration, and sustained investment.
As the cyber domain becomes increasingly weaponized, the protection of maritime infrastructure can no longer be viewed as a peripheral concern. It must be placed at the heart of national security planning, alliance cohesion, and digital resilience strategies.
Silobreaker is a leading provider of security and threat intelligence technology, helping security teams and intelligence professionals contextualize and operationalize data from a broad range of open and proprietary sources. The platform supports governments, multinational corporations, and security agencies in identifying emerging threats, tracking threat actors, and enhancing situational awareness.
With its continued support for global defense initiatives like the CCDCOE, Silobreaker reaffirms its commitment to securing critical infrastructure and contributing to a safer digital ecosystem.