Cyber Security: Dualog Launches New Service

Dualog has taken shipboard cyber security to a higher level by launching a new service that promises to protect vessels and their onboard IT systems, a literal first line of defense, blocking malware and unwanted data traffic at the DNS level.

This extra level is particularly important factor if you consider the findings of a Cisco Security Research paper which claims that 91.3 % of malware uses DNS in attacks.

Dualog Protect blocks ransom-ware, trojans and phishing attempts as well as preventing ‘command-and-control call-backs’ and data exfiltration. By operating at the DNS-level, the service protects all computers and devices attached to all onboard networks. It is an easy-to-implement system that addresses the emerging needs of the shipping industry to implement robust cyber security measures, given the advent of always-on operations, digitalization, Internet of Things (IoT) and new connectivity demands from the maritime workforce.

According to Geir-Inge Jensen, Operations Manager at Dualog, the advent of always-on satellite connections has exposed shipping to viruses, malware and hacking attacks.

Dualog places a lot of importance on the effectiveness of its systems, guaranteeing service up-time of 99.5% backed up by a 24/7 operational support team.Its servers handled a total of 180 Terabytes (180,000,000 MB) of data during the fourth quarter of 2018 and a  total of 28,119,029 emails were scanned for viruses and other threats. A total of 13,386,302 emails were rejected because there were identified as part of large-scale spam attacks while 149,104 were phishing emails with links to unsecure websites. A total of 142,917 viruses or malware were detected and stopped.