Port of LA Fights 40 Million Cyber Attacks Every Month

by John Konrad (gCaptain) The Port of Los Angeles is the victim of approximately 40 million cyber attacks per month, mostly from Europe and Russia including former Eastern Bloc nations. This is double the number of attacks since the start of the COVID19 pandemic. The port is working with the FBI to bolster security.

“Our intelligence shows the threats are coming from Russia and parts of Europe. We have to stay steps ahead of those who want to hurt international commerce,” said Gene Seroka, director of the Port of Los Angeles, in a BBC interview. “We must take every precaution against potential cyber-incidents, particularly those that could threaten or disrupt the flow of cargo.”

The Port of Los Angeles is now working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s cyber-crime team to prevent attacks and improve security. The port has invested millions of dollars in a Cyber Resilience Center (CRC) it built with IBM to study cyber crimes, prevent attacks, and share information with the FBI.

The new Cyber Resilience Centre acts as a hub for the port, receiving, analyzing, and sharing information with those who operate on the dock, such as cargo handlers and shipping lines. In this way, it enhances intelligence gathering and provides heightened protection against cyber-threats within the maritime supply chain.

Related Book: Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker by Kevin Mitnick

This is not the port’s first attempt to fight cybercrime. In 2014, the Port of Los Angeles established a Cyber Security Operations Center designed to help protect the Port’s internal networks. The newly-designed CRC builds upon that technology infrastructure by improving the quality, quantity and speed of cyber information sharing among Port stakeholders.

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