A working waterfront doesn't stop. Now neither does the compliance clock.
Cranes, gates, terminal operating systems, vessel-to-shore links, and customs paperwork all have to move together, around the clock. So when the Coast Guard's cybersecurity rule landed, it created a real problem: your average MSP knows how to patch a laptop but has no idea how to protect the systems that actually load a ship, and getting it wrong can take a terminal offline in the middle of a vessel call.
Three risks a general MSP can't see.
A rule with real teeth
01The USCG MTS rule now expects a Cybersecurity Officer, an assessment, a written plan, baseline controls, and incident reporting, on a phased schedule that's already in motion.
OT treated like office IT
02A routine patch or forced reboot pushed to a control system the way you'd push it to a PC, and a piece of cargo-handling equipment goes dark at the worst possible moment.
A help line three time zones away
03OT problems are physical. When a control system needs eyes on it, 'we'll dispatch from across the country' isn't an answer.
Two worlds, separated the right way, and a plan that holds up.
The systems that run your operation aren't ordinary office IT, and they can't be treated like it. LRG segments the OT environment from the business network so one phishing email can't reach the cranes, monitors it without disrupting it, and applies changes on the equipment's terms, not the calendar's. Then we build the documented cybersecurity plan, controls, and records that hold up to a Coast Guard review. One local partner for connectivity, compliance, and the day-to-day.
Maritime cyber questions, answered.
Does the Coast Guard cyber rule apply to my facility?+
If your facility or vessel is regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act, most U.S. port facilities, terminals, and U.S.-flagged commercial vessels, then yes, the Cybersecurity in the MTS rule applies. It requires a designated Cybersecurity Officer, a cybersecurity assessment, a written plan, baseline technical controls, and incident reporting. If you're unsure whether you're covered, a maritime cyber assessment is the fastest way to find out.
Why can't my regular IT company handle our port systems?+
Because port operations run on operational technology, the control systems behind cranes, gates, and terminal software, and OT can't be managed like office IT. A standard MSP patches and reboots on a schedule; do that to a control system and you can take cargo handling offline. OT has to be segmented, monitored without disruption, and changed on the equipment's terms. Most general IT firms have never worked in that environment.
What is OT/IT segmentation and why do I need it?+
Segmentation means putting your operational technology on a separate, walled-off part of your network from your business IT. You need it for two reasons: safety and scope. If a phishing email compromises an office laptop, segmentation stops that breach from reaching the systems that run the terminal, and it shrinks the footprint you have to assess and protect, which lowers both your risk and your compliance cost. It's the single most important technical control in a maritime environment.
How fast do we need to be compliant?+
The USCG rolled the rule out on a phased schedule, with some technical requirements given longer runways than the program and planning requirements. Those deadlines are already in motion, so the practical answer is: start now. Designating an officer and completing your assessment are the early steps; the technical remediation that follows takes time to budget and implement. Waiting until a deadline is on top of you is how operators end up rushed and exposed.
Services maritime operators lean on
All services →Cybersecurity
The assessment, plan, and controls the USCG MTS rule expects, plus the records to prove it.
Networking
OT/IT segmentation that keeps operational systems walled off from business IT.
Business Internet
Vessel-to-shore links and facility connectivity with failover across yards and terminals.