The Seaports Trade Organisation (BOZ), in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management and the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security, has unveiled a new cybersecurity strategy to bolster the resilience of Dutch seaports.
The ‘Cyber Strategy for Dutch Seaports’ initiative aims to address the escalating threat of cyberattacks, which increasingly impact the entire supply chain due to the interconnected nature of port operations.
“Cybersecurity is critical to the continuity and security of our ports,” said Boudewijn Siemons, chair of BOZ and chief executive of Port of Rotterdam Authority.
“At a time when digital threats are becoming more sophisticated, we must take proactive and concerted action to protect our infrastructure and operations.
“It’s great that the seaports have come together on this issue and we all realise just how hugely important it is.”
As part of the strategy, the FERM Foundation, founded in 2021 and initially operational in the ports of Rotterdam and Moerdijk, will be expanded into a national cybersecurity platform for all Dutch seaports under the BOZ umbrella.
This will unite major ports including Groningen Seaports, North Sea Port, Rotterdam, Moerdijk and Amsterdam, and involve local companies in enhancing digital security across the port ecosystem.
A key leadership change accompanies the expansion, as Evelien Bras, current director of FERM, hands over leadership to Marijn van Schoote, chief information security officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, on 1 January 2025.
“With growing cyber threats from state actors, a need arose from within FERM to take a major step that cannot be achieved with organic growth alone,” said outgoing leader, Bras.
“I am proud to say that this step is now being taken and the value of FERM is being extended and expanded into a nationwide platform with its own profile for each port area.”
