Maritime cybersecurity

The tip of Brittany boasts a number of valuable features for the development of maritime cybersecurity. The sector owes its emergence in the region in no small part to the significant local presence of the French Navy, around which a whole cybersecurity ecosystem has been established over the last few years. Major companies involved include Thales and Naval Group, but there are also many internationally renowned SMEs, such as SourcITEC, Prorisk and Diateam. Shipping lines in Finistère – with Brittany Ferries surely the best known – also contribute to innovations in this field.

Naturally, this ecosystem is underpinned by education, training and research provided by respected institutions including France’s Institute for Ocean Science (Ifremer) and the French Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (Shom), as well as ENSTA Bretagne engineering school, IMT Atlantique technological university and the French Naval Academy (École Navale).

Brest is home to the real nerve centre of French maritime security, the Maritime Information Cooperation and Awareness Center (MICA), and also the Navy’s Cyber Defence Support Centre (CSC), as well as the Chair of Naval Cyber Defence which, with its partners, focuses on security for civilian and military vessels.

It is no coincidence that France Cyber Maritime was established in Brest in 2020, among other things to operate the Maritime Computer Emergency Response Team (M-CERT). With 70 members and based in Finistère, this national organisation seeks to improve resilience in maritime and port environments and to establish a French centre of excellence in maritime cybersecurity.

Photo: Stéphane Marc