CYBERSEA: Building CYBER management risk systems and capabilities in maritime ship Organisations through adapted Communication, Coordination, Collaboration and E-technologies at SEA – CYBERSEA

The CYBERSEA project aims to enhance cyber risk management and resilience in maritime ship organizations by developing adaptive communication, coordination, and collaboration systems. Despite technological advances, the maritime industry still faces significant risks, especially with the rise of e-navigation technologies, which introduce new vulnerabilities such as cyber-attacks. CYBERSEA seeks to address these challenges by building heuristic models and dynamic organizational capabilities at individual, team, and Ship-Shore Collaborative Network (SSCN) levels.
The project investigates three core research questions: (1) How can maritime organizations build capabilities to address risks linked to digital transformation? (2) What management systems can enhance cyber risk resilience in SSCNs? (3) How can decision-making for novices and experts be optimized during cyber crises?
Using a multi-method approach, CYBERSEA integrates ethnography, surveys, and experiments with maritime simulators to study digital transformation, cyber risks, and decision-making during emergencies. Theoretical frameworks include digital safety, organizational culture, and Naturalistic Decision-Making (NDM), focusing on how individuals make decisions under pressure.
CYBERSEA is innovative in its emphasis on human and organizational factors in cyber resilience. It aims to provide practical recommendations aligned with international standards (IMO, NIST ISO/IEC 27001) for maritime operators. The project’s findings will have significant socio-economic and ecological impacts by improving safety and security in maritime operations, while ensuring inclusive representation of women and minority groups.
With a multidisciplinary team from leading French institutions, CYBERSEA will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in cyber resilience and digital transformation within the maritime sector.