Port and Terminal Cybersecurity
A Complete Course and Operational Textbook
TOS, automated cranes, gate control and port facilities
Rahimeh Neamatian Monemi, Ph.D. · Shahin Gelareh, Ph.D.
Port and Terminal Cybersecurity is a complete course for the engineers, IT/OT security teams and facility security officers who keep a container terminal running and defend it.
Across 30 chapters in six parts, it covers Terminal Operating Systems and port logistics, ship-to-shore and automated stacking cranes, AGV fleets and industrial Ethernet, gate and yard infrastructure (OCR portals, RFID credentials, reefer monitoring, cold ironing), port network defence and incident response, and governance under the ISPS Code, EU NIS2, the USCG cyber rule and IEC 62443.
Every chapter follows the same structure: learning objectives, key terminology, a documented incident or a clearly labelled illustrative scenario, a safety warning, a step-by-step technical runbook, a mapping to the relevant regulatory and industry frameworks, and a Platform Lab Session that readers can optionally run hands-on on the Maritime Cyber Range platform. The book is complete on its own; the platform is an optional companion, and worked lab solutions are supplied to adopting instructors.
Six parts, one platform lab per chapter
PART IFoundations of Port & Terminal CybersecurityCh. 1–5
- 1The Modern Automated Port Ecosystem
- 2Port Threat Actors, Motivation & Attack Surfaces
- 3International Port Regulations: ISPS, NIS 2 & USCG MTSA
- 4Cyber Risk Management for Port Facilities
- 5Port Cybersecurity Architecture & Network Segmentation
PART IITerminal Operating Systems (TOS) & LogisticsCh. 6–11
- 6Terminal Operating System (TOS) Architecture
- 7Berth Allocation & Vessel Call Scheduling Attacks
- 8Container Yard Planning & Job-Order Manipulation
- 9Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Manifest & Stowage Tampering
- 10Port Community Systems (PCS) & Customs Gateways
- 11Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Integrity in Port Logistics
PART IIIHeavy Equipment, Crane Automation & Field OTCh. 12–16
- 12Ship-to-Shore (STS) Crane Control Systems & Trolley PLCs
- 13Automated Stacking Cranes (ASC) & Rail Gantries
- 14Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) & Terminal Fleet Security
- 15Industrial Ethernet on the Quay: Profinet & Modbus
- 16Spreaders, Twistlocks & Anti-Collision Systems
PART IVGate Operations, Yard Infrastructure & UtilitiesCh. 17–22
- 17Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Portals & Kiosks
- 18RFID Trucker Identification & Credential Cloning
- 19Weigh-in-Motion Systems & SOLAS VGM Tampering
- 20Refrigerated Container (Reefer) Monitoring Networks
- 21Cold Ironing & High Voltage Shore Connection (HVSC)
- 22Port Electrical Substations, Microgrids & SCADA
PART VPort Network Defense, Monitoring & Incident ResponseCh. 23–27
- 23Port OT Threat Detection & Historian Data Integrity
- 24Wireless Networks in Container Yards: 5G, Wi-Fi & Mesh
- 25Ransomware Defense in Container Terminals
- 26Port Facility Incident Response & Safe Fallback
- 27Physical-Cyber Convergence & Drone Threat Detection
PART VIPort Governance, Audits & Future ResilienceCh. 28–30
- 28Port Facility Security Plan (PFSP) Cyber Integration
- 29Third-Party & Stevedore Contractor Governance
- 30Lessons Learned & The Future of Autonomous Ports
BACK MATTERAppendices and references
- Port Facility Security Plan (PFSP) Cyber Audit Checklist
- Port Industrial Protocols Technical Reference
- Maritime Cyber Range Port Scenario Catalog
- MITRE ATT&CK for ICS: Port and Terminal Technique Mapping
- Proposed Port Cyber Competency Framework (Non-Normative Crosswalk)
- Glossary of Port and Terminal Cyber Terms
Everything to teach the course
The teaching materials follow the textbook chapter by chapter. They are supplied to instructors who adopt the book and are not distributed to students.
Lecture slides
One deck for the volume, organised as 90-minute sessions (one per chapter), with speaker notes and ready to adapt to your course.
Instructor guide and solutions manual
For every chapter: a session plan, key messages and common misconceptions, a slide map, model answers to every review question with marking points, and a walkthrough of the platform lab with debrief answers.
Practise every chapter on Predictim Maritime Cyber Range
Each of the 30 labs in this volume maps to a guided-simulation exercise on the platform, so readers move from the page to hands-on practice within the same framework.
- 01Every chapter ends with a guided Platform Lab Session, identified by its platform exercise ID.
- 02Readers request access, and we open the labs for the volume or volumes they use.
- 03On the platform, open the chapter under My Books and select Open Lab Terminal.
Platform access is governed by its own terms of service and may require separate registration or a subscription; buying the book does not guarantee access for any particular period.
Review copy or institutional licence
Instructors and reviewers can request a review copy. Academies, universities, and operators can license the books for their learners, together with access to the Maritime Cyber Range.
First Edition, 2026 — forthcoming in print and digital editions. Request a review copy or an institutional licence below.
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