Port Leaders Participate in Cybersecurity Discussions with Senior Administration Officials

This week, maritime leaders attended a roundtable with Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to discuss maritime cybersecurity and its important role in ensuring continued operation of American supply chains. The Secretaries touted the importance of information sharing and working with trade associations representing various sectors of the maritime transportation system. They also announced an upcoming Request for Information (RFI) on the U.S. Coast Guard’s cyber standards. Representing AAPA were Jill Taylor, Homeland Security Manager for the Port of Los Angeles, and Mark Dubina, Vice President of Security for Port Tampa Bay. Jill and Mark serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, of AAPA’s Security Committee.   AAPA also hosted a webinar with Rear Admiral John Mauger, Assistant Commandant for the Coast Guard’s Office of Prevention Policy. Admiral Mauger briefed attendees about steps the Coast Guard is taking to bolster cybersecurity at ports, including hiring dedicated cyber experts at each Coast Guard sector. He also talked about best practices for sharing threats. A discussion with Admiral Mauger followed the briefing, with comments and questions from the participants largely focused on improving communication between ports and the Coast Guard, increasing guidance for implementation of Coast Guard regulations and reducing redundancy.