The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is pleased to convene the 2026 edition of the Maritime Cyber Lab: From Risk to Resilience, an interactive two-day platform designed for practitioners and decision-makers working across maritime transport, cybersecurity, policy, and critical infrastructure resilience.

Maritime transport underpins more than 80% of global trade and is undergoing a profound digital transformation. Ports, shipping companies, offshore installations, and maritime coordination centres are increasingly reliant on interconnected operational and information technology (OT–IT) systems, satellite communications, automated logistics platforms, and digital port community systems. While these developments significantly enhance efficiency, transparency, and connectivity, they also introduce new and complex vulnerabilities across the maritime domain.

In recent years, the maritime sector has experienced a steady increase in cyber incidents, including ransomware attacks, system intrusions, and data breaches affecting ports, vessels, and logistics chains. Such incidents can disrupt port operations, compromise safety-critical systems, delay cargo flows, and generate cascading economic impacts across global supply chains. As maritime infrastructure becomes more interconnected, vulnerabilities in one node can have far-reaching systemic consequences.

In response, international and regional actors, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the European Union, and national authorities, have strengthened regulatory frameworks and guidance to enhance the cyber resilience of maritime infrastructure. These include measures aimed at improving risk management, incident prevention, preparedness, and coordinated response.

Despite this progress, maritime cybersecurity remains a shared and evolving challenge that cuts across jurisdictions, sectors, and institutional mandates. Opportunities for structured, cross-sectoral dialogue and practical exchange remain limited, particularly between policy-makers, operational actors, and private-sector stakeholders.

The Maritime Cyber Lab seeks to address this gap by providing a neutral, practitioner-oriented platform that brings together public authorities, international organisations, industry representatives, and technical experts. Through facilitated dialogue and collaborative working sessions, participants will explore emerging risks, reflect on operational challenges and lessons learned, and identify priority areas for strengthening maritime cyber resilience.

The Lab aims to contribute to enhanced cooperation, informed decision-making, and more resilient maritime systems, supporting both regional and global efforts to safeguard critical maritime infrastructure and international trade.