- Pacific Gas operates a fleet of large LPG and ethylene gas carriers and plans to expand this focus to include LNG tankers and very large ethane carriers.
- Fleet Xpress is a combination of Ka-band connectivity through the Global Xpress constellation and L-band through FleetBroadband.
- Pacific Gas is installing Fleet Secure Endpoint to monitor ship systems for threats such as malicious software or a crew device with no cybersecurity installed
According to an article published in Riviera Maritime Media, gas carrier owner, Pacific Gas is investing in faster satellite communications and cybersecurity as it seeks to expand its fleet and focus.
Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress
China’s largest owner of liquid ethylene gas (LEG) shipping is installing Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress connectivity across its existing fleet and on new ships.
It will also deploy Inmarsat’s Fleet Secure Endpoint to thwart cyber threats to its fleet. This is a multi-layered cybersecurity that monitors ship systems for security breaches.
Pacific Gas vice president for the fleet Captain Tao Yong said Fleet Xpress will enable the group to connect ships to the shore base and provide greater online access for the crew.
Digital resource planning
“Fleet Xpress helps us to scale our digital activities and complement the ship management software we installed for resource planning on the vessels,” he said.
“With real-time data exchange, our vessels become an extension to our shore office,” Capt Yong continued. “We base our operational efficiency and performance gains on continuous monitoring and real-time upgrades and assistance.”
Pacific Gas will get greater bandwidth, seamless global coverage, guaranteed performance and 24/7 support available through Fleet Xpress.
This is increasingly important in attracting highly trained seafarers in a competitive market.
“Internet access at sea is also vital for crew welfare and essential to attracting and retaining talented crew,” said Capt Yong.
Protection against cybercriminals
However, greater access to the internet has its dangers. Always-on connectivity and shipping’s progress towards digitalization creates new requirements to protect ships against cybercriminals.
Stable connections are vital for a company continuously monitoring its ships remotely using the closed-circuit TV for security, for example.
“With our growing dependence on technology and providing open internet access we could be susceptible to cyberattacks,” said Capt Yong. “So, we needed more than a conventional antivirus to protect our systems 24/7 and from the various kinds of evolving threats. As a modern shipowner, we need to ensure all our vessels are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and security systems that complement Inmarsat’s global, secure and reliable connectivity.”
This is why Pacific Gas is installing Fleet Secure Endpoint to monitor ship systems for threats to endpoints such as malicious software or a crew device with no cybersecurity installed. If these are identified, the endpoint is reported as a ‘rogue node’ and isolated from the rest of the network until the issue is resolved. Fleet Secure is powered by ESET Endpoint Security.
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Source: RivieraMaritimeMedia
