The Port of Los Angeles was currently being hit by about 40m cyber-attacks a month, mostly from Europe and Russia, including former Eastern Bloc nations, which was twice the number of attacks seen until recently.
POLA director Gene Seroka said in an interview with the BBC that “our intelligence shows the threats are coming from Russia and parts of Europe. We have to stay steps ahead of those who want to hurt international commerce.” The Port has contacted the FBI for assistance.
Seroka said that “we must take every precaution against potential cyber-incidents, particularly those that could threaten or disrupt the flow of cargo.”
The Port of Los Angeles is working with the FBI’s cyber-crime team to prevent attacks and to improve security. POLA has also invested millions of dollars in a Cyber Resilience Centre (CRC). This was built with IBM to analyze cyber-crimes with the intention of improving defences. Information is shared with the FBI. The CRC receives and shares information with other parties operating within the port, such as cargo handlers and shipping lines.
