Seaport Information Infrastructure: Its Vulnerabilities and Information Warfare attack

Seaports are important nodes in international shipping. The transfer of goods from one mode of transport to another model has been the primary function of seaports and more
specifically, terminals. The central objective of a seaport is to have a speedy transport of cargo in and out of the port. The needs for higher operational productivity, faster exchange of information, and speedier vessel turn-around times are just a few of many critical factors that are currently pressing port’s nodal position within logistics systems and supply chains. In the era of intense competition, ports not only have to compete with other ports but also with other modes of transportation. This intensified competition has force seaports to operate more efficiently i.e. to process, handle and transport bigger volume of cargo in the shortest possible time. In order to reduce the number of times a container is handled and moved (called as “dwell time”)2, it requires a mechanism that can process the relevant documents faster, and secure and coordinate the movement of cargo and vehicles. Thus, the most important element that should be in hand is the gathering and distributing of real-time information in a secure manner. The distribution of data and information on an instantaneous and synchronized way can only be done through the seaport’s information infrastructure.