The Ashdod Port is implementing a new cybersecurity protection scheme with the aid of Cyber 2.0 and several other cybersecurity companies, it was announced on Thursday.
“The port is a strategic place where a wide range of different and diverse technologies are concentrated, each of which could be an opening for a cyberattack,” said Cyber 2.0 founder and VP of technology Erez Kaplan.
Ashdod Port and the Israel National Cyber Directorate mapped all the hazards and vulnerable devices that connect to the port. A successful cyberattack on the seaport could result in a partial or total shutdown, damage to shipping records, damage to hazardous materials, mis-navigation of vessels and unauthorized intelligence collection.
More than 500 cybersecurity companies were involved in an accelerator program, of which several were chosen to test their systems on the seaport. Sixty-three of the start-ups have already implemented their systems.
Cyber 2.0 is implementing programs that prevent cyberattacks from reaching controllers and spreading through the network. The system works in unconnected networks, does not require updates and doesn’t read local data.
The establishment of the innovation arm led by Ashdod Port chief innovation officer Roy Avrahami is part of a broader strategic plan that includes investments of NIS 2.4 billion as part of preparations for competition with private seaports that are expected to open later this year.
The assimilation of the technologies in the port’s operations is expected to streamline daily work and increase labor productivity, in addition to creating significant investment and income channels.