September 15, 2025
The IMO Cybersecurity Requirements
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) requires all ship owners and operators to incorporate cyber risk management into their existing Safety Management Systems (SMS) in line with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code.
Specifically:
Resolution MSC.428(98) (adopted 2017, effective 1 Jan 2021) — mandates that “an approved SMS shall take into account cyber risk management in accordance with the objectives and functional requirements of the ISM Code.” This means cyber threats must be addressed as part of safety management.
MSC-FAL.1/Circ.3/Rev.3 (2025 Guidelines on Maritime Cyber Risk Management) — updated guidance that requires shipowners to safeguard computer-based systems (CBS), including bridge navigation, propulsion, cargo handling, ship-to-shore links, and crew/passenger systems, from cyber incidents.
These guidelines explicitly call for:
Cryptographic protection of ship-to-shore communications
Segmentation of OT and IT systems
Policies and procedures on the use of cryptography as part of shipboard cyber risk management.
🔹 Why Isidore Quantum® is a Good Idea
While the IMO guidelines don’t (yet) name “post-quantum cryptography” outright, they mandate cryptographic protections that are resilient to emerging threats. Quantum computing is explicitly recognized by CISA, NIST, and allied regulators as the next systemic threat to encryption — meaning IMO compliance today must anticipate quantum-resilient cryptography to remain valid tomorrow.
Isidore Quantum® enables shipowners to:
Meet IMO’s mandate to implement effective cryptographic controls onboard.
Achieve Zero Trust segmentation between OT and IT systems.
Ensure compliance with MSC-FAL.1/Circ.3/Rev.3 functional elements (Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover) by delivering CNSA 2.0 + FIPS 140-3 certified, quantum-safe encryption.
Isidore Quantum® – IMO Compliance Mapping
IMO Functional Element | Isidore Quantum® Feature | Compliance Impact for Shipowners |
Govern (Policies, accountability, risk strategy) | Plug-and-Play, Zero-Training Deployment | Simplifies governance by embedding cryptography without procedural complexity; aligns with IMO’s call for risk management integration into the ISM Code. |
Identify (Asset inventory, dependencies, risks) | Autonomous Ephemeral Keying & AI-driven anomaly detection | Provides continuous visibility into secure vs. insecure data flows, helping identify risk points in OT/IT systems. |
Protect (Controls, access, segmentation, cryptography) | CNSA 2.0 + FIPS 140-3 certified PQC Hardware-enforced red/black separation | Ensures IMO’s requirement for robust cryptographic protection of ship-to-shore and OT systems; prevents unauthorized access and segmentation failures. |
Detect (Timely threat monitoring, incident recognition) | No RF signature & AI antifragility | Makes encrypted traffic indistinguishable from unencrypted traffic, minimizing detectability by adversaries; AI monitoring helps detect anomalies at machine speed. |
Respond (Plans to minimize impact of incidents) | Dual-layer encryption tunnels; self-healing key lifecycle | Ensures continuity of shipboard comms and OT systems during cyber incidents, aligning with IMO’s demand for resilience in response planning. |
Recover (Restoration of systems post-incident) | Lightweight, <8W, rugged module Sub-ms latency | Enables rapid recovery of secure communications after disruption; designed for resilience in maritime environments (harsh weather, saltwater). |
IMO doesn’t just require “cybersecurity awareness”—it requires technical measures for cryptography, segmentation, and resilience to be built into shipboard systems.
Isidore Quantum® is the only drop-in device that maps cleanly to all six IMO cyber risk management elements, helping shipowners:
Achieve compliance with IMO 2025 cyber risk mandates.
Future-proof fleets against post-quantum threats.
Protect both IT and OT systems (bridge, propulsion, cargo, and ship-to-shore comms).
IMO requires compliance. Isidore Quantum® delivers it—today, and in the quantum era.
⚓ In short: IMO requires ships to implement robust, future-ready cryptographic protections under the ISM Code. Isidore Quantum® is the drop-in, post-quantum device that makes that compliance practical — today and tomorrow.
Copyright 2025. Forward Edge-AI, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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