U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Cybersecurity Course
The Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science, in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command-Maritime Cyber Readiness Branch, the USCG Office of Port and Facility Compliance, and USCG Sector NY, have developed a Maritime Cybersecurity professional development course tailored to the education needs of USCG marine safety personnel.
The two-day, instructor-led course provides a fundamental understanding of cybersecurity concepts including evolving threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations within the context of the Maritime Transportation System (MTS). The course aims to prepare Coast Guard personnel with the working knowledge of cyber and physical security to be able to assess cyber risks as part of facility and vessel security inspections, as well as in their cyber incident response efforts.
Course Objectives
The objectives of this course are to:
Provide an understanding of key cybersecurity concepts in a way that is accessible for a broad and diverse USCG participant group, not expert in cybersecurity. These key concepts include cyber risks, threats, vulnerabilities, and methods of risk mitigation.
Enable the course participants to access and apply key resource material such as applicable regulations, guidelines and government and industry reports and alerts.
Illustrate the applicability of these cyber threat concepts to the MTS and other US Critical Infrastructure through case studies of past exploits, and those currently evolving.
Audience
USCG personnel responsible for facility and vessel inspections as well as other USCG and partner entities. No prior cybersecurity or computer science experience/knowledge is required.
Modules
The course is comprised of the following modules.
Module 1: Fundamental Cybersecurity Concepts as Applied to the MTS
Module 2: Common Cyber Attacks, Advanced Persistent Threats, and Mitigations
Module 3: Information Technology (IT), Operational Technology (OT) and their Vulnerabilities
Module 4: Analyses of Key Cyber-Attacks
Module 5: Risk Mitigations in IT/OT systems
Module 6: Cyber-Physical Risk Assessment in Maritime Systems
Module 7: GPS and AIS Operation; Spoofing and Jamming
Module 8: Course Exercise and Summary
Course Schedule
Spring 2024 semester*
January 25-26, 2024
February 8-9, 2024
March 14-15, 2024
May 9-10, 2024
Fall 2024 semester*
September 19-20, 2024
Fall 2023 semester*
September 21 & 22, 2023
Spring 2023 semester*
January 26 & 27, 2023
February 8, 9 & 10, 2023 (This course was held from 5 pm to 9:30 pm each day, and was intended for personnel participating from Guam, Hawaii and Alaska)
March 16 & 17, 2023
May 11 & 12, 2023
Fall 2022 semester*
September 22 & 23, 2022
Spring 2022 semester*
January 27 & 28, 2022
March 17 & 18, 2022
May 12 & 13, 2022
* The course dates are for U.S. Coast Guard personnel only.
Non-Coast Guard personnel interested in the course should contact the Director for other course date opportunities.
SF 182 and other forms of payment will be accepted.