Cyprus is one of the world's largest ship management centres and a major EU flag registry, and the IMO's 2021 resolution requires every shipping company to build cyber risk management into its approved Safety Management System — enforced from the first annual verification of the Document of Compliance after 1 January 2021, and checked at Flag State and Port State Control level ever since.
We test the systems that actually carry the risk: shore-side fleet, crewing and chartering platforms, ship-to-shore connectivity, and, where safe and agreed, the OT-adjacent systems on the bridge — with the same careful, non-disruptive methodology we use for industrial control systems.
We focus first on shore-side systems — fleet management, crewing, chartering and payment platforms — because that is where the overwhelming majority of real maritime cyber losses actually happen, through business email compromise and payment fraud rather than exotic attacks on ship systems. Where ship-to-shore connectivity (VSAT, cellular) or bridge-adjacent systems like ECDIS are in scope, we extend the same passive-first, safety-conscious approach we apply to OT and ICS environments, never testing against a vessel underway without explicit agreement.
Why it matters
Maritime cyber incidents are rarely about hacking a ship mid-voyage — they are about a finance team wiring a charter payment to an attacker's account, or a fleet management platform with a vulnerability nobody has looked at since it was installed. A Cyprus shipping company itself lost $644,000 to exactly this kind of attack. Meanwhile Flag State and Port State Control inspectors now expect documented cyber risk management in your SMS, and a P&I club or insurer asking about cyber posture wants more than a policy statement.
What we test
- Shore-side fleet & crewing system penetration testing
- Ship-to-shore connectivity (VSAT / cellular) security review
- Business email compromise & finance-team phishing simulation
- Chartering, freight & payment platform security testing
- ECDIS & bridge-system interface review (where safe & in scope)
- ISM Code cyber risk management SMS documentation gap review
Common vulnerabilities we uncover
- Business email compromise targeting chartering & payment approvals
- Weak segmentation between shore IT and vessel-facing systems
- Legacy or unpatched fleet management platforms
- VSAT / satellite links with default or weak authentication
- No documented cyber risk assessment in the Safety Management System
- Crew and shore staff with no phishing awareness training
How we run your engagement
- Kick-off & scoping. A short call to agree goals, in-scope assets and rules of engagement, so your maritime & shipping company penetration testing is safe, authorised and aimed at your real business risk.
- Mapping & discovery. Before touching anything we map the full attack surface in scope, so nothing exploitable slips through.
- Hands-on testing. Cyprus-based specialists exploit and chain weaknesses manually — the flaws scanners walk straight past — to show genuine impact.
- Reporting. Each issue is verified, CVSS-rated and documented with a step-by-step reproduction and a practical fix your team can apply.
- Free retest. Once you have remediated, we re-test at no extra cost to confirm the attack path is truly closed.
Tools & techniques
We test shore-side fleet, crewing and chartering systems by hand, review your ship-to-shore connectivity (VSAT and cellular links) for weak or default authentication, and run a business-email-compromise and phishing simulation against finance and chartering staff, since that is the single largest real-world loss vector in the sector. Where ECDIS or other bridge-adjacent systems are explicitly in scope, we apply the same conservative methodology we use for OT and ICS engagements — passive discovery first, active testing only where it is demonstrably safe, and never against equipment supporting a vessel underway.
Findings are mapped back to your Safety Management System documentation so the gaps we find translate directly into what your ISM Code cyber risk assessment needs to show.
When you need this engagement
- You are a Cyprus-based ship management, ship-owning or chartering company
- You need to evidence cyber risk management in your SMS for Flag State or PSC inspection
- You have never tested shore-side systems for business email compromise exposure
- You are integrating new fleet management or crewing software
- Your P&I club or insurer is asking about your cyber risk posture
What you receive
- Shore-side & fleet-system penetration test report
- Ship-to-shore connectivity findings
- BEC / phishing simulation results & staff readiness score
- ISM Code SMS cyber risk documentation gap review
- Prioritised, operations-safe remediation roadmap
- Free retest after remediation
Your deliverables
When your maritime & shipping company penetration testing wraps up, you receive a clear, audit-ready report plus a walkthrough call with your team. Inside you will find:
- A concise executive summary that management and the board can act on
- Every technical finding with a reproducible, copy-paste proof of concept
- CVSS v3.1 ratings and plain-language business impact for each issue
- Practical, prioritised remediation your developers can implement straight away
- A free retest and updated finding status once fixes are in place
- A signed attestation letter for clients, auditors, GDPR, NIS2 and ISO 27001
Standards & frameworks
IMO Resolution MSC.428(98)
ISM Code
BIMCO Cyber Security Guidelines
IEC 62443 (where OT-adjacent systems are in scope)
What you gain
By the end of your maritime & shipping company penetration testing, you will know exactly which weaknesses a real attacker could exploit, what it would cost your business, and the precise order in which to fix them — backed by evidence, not a scanner’s guesswork. Cyprus firms use our findings to close critical gaps, satisfy client and regulator security questionnaires, and demonstrate due diligence for GDPR and NIS2. With a free retest included, you also get documented proof the issues are resolved.
Working with us
Every maritime & shipping company penetration testing begins with a short, no-obligation scoping call to understand your goals, environment and constraints, followed by a fixed-price proposal. Most work is delivered remotely, and because we are based in Cyprus we work in your timezone with on-site visits across Limassol, Nicosia and island-wide where it helps. We keep you updated throughout and flag any critical finding immediately rather than waiting for the report. Everything is covered by a signed NDA and safe, non-disruptive testing that protects your production systems. You receive your report, a walkthrough and a complimentary retest once fixes land. Engagements are typically booked one to three weeks ahead, and urgent testing can often be arranged — just email hi@cypruspentest.com.
Why Cyprus businesses choose CyprusPentest
Your maritime & shipping company penetration testing is run by senior offensive-security specialists who test the way genuine attackers do — manually, creatively and focused on proving real impact. What sets us apart:
- Based in Cyprus — local, in your timezone, with on-site coverage across Limassol and Nicosia.
- Manual, exploit-led testing that chains vulnerabilities the way an attacker would, well beyond automated scanners.
- Reproducible proof for every finding, with copy-paste steps your team can independently verify.
- Compliance-ready reporting that supports GDPR, NIS2, ISO 27001 and CySEC expectations.
- A free retest so you have documented evidence your fixes actually hold.
- Fixed-price and responsive, with a named point of contact from scoping through to retest.
Explore related services
Maritime & Shipping Company Penetration Testing pairs well with our other Cyprus penetration testing services for fuller coverage. You may also want:
- OT / ICS / SCADA Penetration Testing — OT, ICS and SCADA penetration testing — safely assess PLCs, HMIs and industrial networks, validate IT/OT…
- External Network Penetration Testing — External network penetration testing in Cyprus. We test your internet-facing perimeter for Limassol & island-wide businesses…
- Phishing Simulation — Phishing simulation in Cyprus. Realistic, authorised email campaigns measuring click and reporting rates for Limassol businesses.
How much does Maritime & Shipping Company Penetration Testing cost?
Every maritime & shipping company penetration testing in Cyprus is scoped and priced individually, so you pay only for the coverage you need — with no hidden extras. After a short, no-obligation scoping call we send a fixed-price quote, usually within one business day, with clear deliverables, a firm timeline and a complimentary retest included. The price depends on the size and complexity of your environment, so you always know the cost up front before any work begins.
Get a fixed-price quote
Frequently asked questions
Will this disrupt vessels currently at sea?
No. Active testing is scoped to shore-side systems and safe, agreed windows. Any ship-facing or OT-adjacent testing follows the same conservative, passive-first methodology we use for industrial control systems, and is never run against a vessel underway without explicit agreement.
Does this satisfy IMO 2021 cyber risk requirements?
Our findings and documentation gap review are built to evidence the cyber risk management IMO's 2021 resolution requires in your Safety Management System, supporting your Document of Compliance verification.
Why do you focus so much on phishing and email, not just hacking ships?
Because that is where the real losses happen. Maritime cyber incidents are overwhelmingly business email compromise against chartering, payment and crewing workflows, not exotic attacks on ship systems, so that is where we concentrate testing effort.
Do you test ECDIS and bridge systems directly?
Only where explicitly agreed and safe to do so, using the same careful, non-disruptive approach as our OT/ICS/SCADA testing. Most engagements focus on the shore-side and connectivity layer that actually carries the risk.