Coast Guard Officials, Federal Agency Chief Detail Rapid Responses to US Port Cyber Threats

United States Coast Guard and federal maritime agency officials assured congressional lawmakers on April 5 that potential vulnerabilities to cyber attacks against the nation’s ports are being rapidly addressed, an urgency underscored by revelations that Chinese-made ship-to-shore “dual-use-designed” cranes that could potentially sabotage vital infrastructure are operating in many of the nation’s 361 ports. The Coast Guard reported in February that more than 200 China-manufactured cranes were operating in U.S. ports, with possible threats identified on 92 of them, prompting President Joe Biden in a Feb. 21 executive order to authorize an amped-up cyber security program within a $20 billion ports infrastructure package from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)....