Over 80% of global trade moves by ship. A single cyber incident in the wrong place at the wrong time can cost billions, block supply chains, and threaten lives. This is not a future risk. It is happening right now, every week.

This seminar brings together world-leading expertise, real-world incident data, and hands-on research to give you a clear picture of where the threats come from, what they look like, and what you can do about them:

• Real threat intelligence: Insights drawn from the Maritime Cyber Attack Database (MCAD), the world's most comprehensive open dataset on maritime incidents.
• Nation-state & criminal actors: Learn who is targeting the maritime sector and why – from Russian ransomware groups to GPS spoofing used in geopolitical conflicts.
• Cutting-edge research: Hear directly from the team behind the Ship Honeynet – a simulated vessel environment used to study cyber threats in real time.
• Cross-sector networking: Connect with professionals from shipping, ports, offshore energy, defence, cybersecurity, and regulation in one room.

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Dr. Stephen McCombie

Stephen is Professor of Maritime IT Security at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences nd Honorary Professor at Macquarie University

Stephen has 25+ years of experience in cybersecurity, spanning policing, industry, and academia.

Since 2021 he has led the Maritime IT Security research group at NHL Stenden, collaborating with the EU Coast Guards Forum, US Coast Guard, UK Department of Transport, NATO Centre of Excellence in Maritime Security, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. His PhD examined the impact of Eastern European cybercrime groups on Australian banks.

Full Programme:

13:30 Welcome & introduction

Setting the scene: the maritime threat landscape, today's speakers and participants, and what to expect from the afternoon.

13:45 Keynote: Cyber Threats to the Global Maritime Transportation System (Prof. Dr. Stephen McCombie, NHL Stenden)

• Maritime Cyber Attack Database (MCAD) incident data and trends: A deep dive into MCAD - 290+ incidents across 54 countries, openly available to support research and policy
• Ransomware in ports and shipping: How criminal groups target shipping companies, ports, and logistics operators - and what the economic consequences are
• GPS and AIS spoofing: How erroneous navigation signals are used to manipulate vessel positions – with real geopolitical examples including the Stena Impero incident
• Supply chain vulnerabilities: Why ageing fleet technology and interconnected port systems create enormous systemic risk for global trade
• Nation-state actors: The role of Russian, Chinese, North Korean, and Iranian actors in maritime cyber operations before and after 2016
• The Ship Honeynet project: A simulated ship environment used to attract and study real-world attackers – and what it has already revealed
• Training and awareness; Why awareness and simulation exercises matter more than compliance checklists – and what the research says
• Regulation landscape

15:30 Coffee & tea break

15:45 All Hands on Tech: Securing the Digital Seas - A Multi-Domain Approach to Maritime Security in Belgium and Beyond (Yves Van Seters, Antwerp Maritime Academy)

Yves presents how Antwerp Maritime Academy is building a national MarSec ecosystem across academia, defence, ports, and industry, and what Belgium's growing research agenda means for the protection of our critical maritime infrastructure.

16:15 From Innovation to Deployment: The Flemish Maritime Security Agenda (speaker to be confirmed, Blue Cluster / De Blauwe Cluster)

• Maritime security is not just a cost or a compliance burden. For Flanders, it is an industrial opportunity, and Belgium is starting to organise around that idea
• The Belgian Ministry of Defence and RHID have formally assigned De Blauwe Cluster to develop an ecosystem for critical maritime infrastructure protection, covering cyber, hybrid, and physical threats
• In parallel, the Flemish Innovation and Industrial Strategy for Security and Defence (VISD) is accelerating the translation of dual-use research into solutions that can actually be deployed
• Concrete project themes already in the pipeline include cyber-secure ports, offshore monitoring, autonomous systems, and data-driven situational awareness
• For companies and research institutions in the room, this is a live opportunity: early access to strategic priorities, co-development of solutions, and a direct route into national and European projects

16:45 Maritime Cybersecurity Research and Education at Howest (Johan Galle, Cybersecurity lecturer at Howest)

17:15 Networking drink

Continue the conversation with speakers and peers from across the sector.