New Alliance To Deliver First Integrated Cyber Defense & Insurance Model For Cargo Ships

Hanwha General Insurance Co., Ltd. (Hanwha General Insurance) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with CYTUR Inc. (CYTUR), a company specializing in maritime and vessel cybersecurity, on October 23 to jointly pursue maritime cyber insurance business initiatives.

The agreement aims to provide an integrated service combining maritime cyber insurance capabilities with vessel cybersecurity technologies and to actively develop South Korea’s maritime cyber insurance market.

As cyber threats targeting maritime supply chains, including attacks on vessel operational technology (OT) systems and disruptions to satellite communications, become a reality, cyber resilience regulations set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) are being strengthened.

However, existing vessel insurance policies exclude general cyber-related losses from coverage, leaving shipping companies with significant gaps in coverage.

Under the MOU, the two companies have agreed to jointly pursue:

• Planning of maritime cyber insurance products and services
• Establishment of cyber threat assessment and cyber resilience-linked systems
• Establishment of a cooperative framework for insurance incident investigations (digital forensics)
• Research into scenario-based loss models.

Specifically, CYTUR will assess vessel security levels and provide the technical analysis data required for insurance underwriting, based on its IT/OT cybersecurity technologies covering the entire vessel lifecycle, from design and construction to operation.

Even after insurance enrollment, CYTUR plans to continuously monitor vessel security status through its cyber resilience management system and support risk mitigation and reassessments for insurance renewal. In the event of a cyber incident, CYTUR will analyze the cause of the incident and the extent of damage through remote analysis and onboard forensic investigations, and provide technical reports required for insurance incident investigations.

Hanwha General Insurance will develop tailored cyber insurance products reflecting the characteristics of the maritime industry and oversee their operation.

In particular, the company plans to establish criteria linking vessel security assessment results to insurance eligibility conditions and preferential measures. In the event of a cyber incident, Hanwha General Insurance will operate prompt incident reporting and loss adjustment procedures, and directly establish a cooperative investigation framework, including forensic investigations.

The two companies will launch a pilot project and joint marketing activities targeting domestic shipping companies and shipowners in December. They also plan to develop policy-related cooperation initiatives with local governments and classification societies.

A spokesperson for Hanwha General Insurance said, “As cyber threats increase rapidly amid the digitalization of vessel operations, our partnership with CYTUR, a cybersecurity specialist, will provide an optimal solution for addressing integrated risk management needs in one place.”

The spokesperson added, “Through continued cooperation, the two companies will work together as dependable maritime cyber risk partners to provide differentiated services.”

Press Release