S.M.A.R.T.
Budget: ₹12,500 – ₹37,500 INR
(a) The software S.M.A.R.T aims to empower maritime agencies to carry out data analysis, maintain record concerning the movement of merchant vessels and ensure movement tracking to avoid any illegal activities taking place in the Indian EEZ by using Artificial Intelligence. The software will rely on data gathered through regular interrogation of merchant vessels being carried out by Indian Coast Guard Ships and Aircraft. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, the user will be able to carry out an analysis on the movement of merchant vessels, detect any kind of intentional stoppage between the voyages to carry out an illegal activity and avoid AIS spoofing. The deliberate use of AIS manipulation as an evasion tactic is known as AIS spoofing.
(b) AIS spoofing is the latest method bad actors have developed to exploit technological vulnerabilities and get away with illicit activity. It’s so effective for evading detection that without strong technology, can easily go under the radar. When originally developed, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) was used as a safety precaution to avoid collisions. With time, AIS use has evolved, and with it, the reliance of vessels have on it. Today, governments and security agencies use AIS to detect and prevent illicit activities at sea. Compliance teams use AIS data as a crucial element of their process with due diligence.
(c) Safety of Life at Seas (SOLAS) sought to instill AIS transmissions as a primary safety tool for all vessels. But AIS was never designed as a tracking tool, nor was it created as a security or risk solution. AIS technology relies on radio frequency and, to some extent, manual data input. This makes it prone to human error or intentional manipulation. Bad actors realized that AIS manipulations were not only possible, but surprisingly easy.
(d) As organizations increased their reliance on AIS, bad actors developed new ways to better hide their illegal operations. Following the 2012 sanctions on Iran, AIS spoofing rose drastically. Iranian tankers, no longer able to enter international ports, simply changed their flags and fraudulently entered international ports. This made it undoubtedly clear that without better monitoring and security tools, AIS spoofing would be impossible to detect and manage.
(e) The Yuk Tung vessel spoofed its AIS entirely when it transmitted under a Panamanian flag, using the vessel name Maika, and altered its course and destination. This occurred on November 11th 2018, after a suspicious ship-to-ship transfer between the Yuk Tung and the Ocean Explorer in October 2018. During the time of the spoofing, the vessel legally authorized and registered a Comoros-flagged vessel, the Hika. The Hika had the same IMO as the Maika. The two vessels were sister ships, built in the same year, by the same manufacturer, with the same specifications and profile. However, during this time, the Hika was actually over 7,000 miles away. Meanwhile, the Maika (aka Yuk Tung) was deceiving authorities under the Hika’s name. This AIS spoofing case made it clear that bad actors had raised the bar.
(f) Cases such as the Yuk Tong and Su Ri Bong highlight why AIS regulations and advisories alone cannot stop bad actors. Businesses need strong technology to stay ahead of the game. To protect themselves from AIS spoofing, organizations need to be able to see beyond what AIS transmissions alone provide.
(g) AI-powered tools can provide critical insights on the behavior of vessels and recognize if the information on the AIS systems matches the historical data of thousands of other vessels. In doing so, AI tools can detect instances of spoofing, helping governments prevent illicit activities, and businesses more confidently vet vessels. Therefore a software like S.M.A.R.T can stand very useful in curtailing such activities and helping maritime agencies.
5. Salient Features :
`S.M.A.R.T will be an Artificial Intelligence powered software.
Assist maritime agency ..
(b) AIS spoofing is the latest method bad actors have developed to exploit technological vulnerabilities and get away with illicit activity. It’s so effective for evading detection that without strong technology, can easily go under the radar. When originally developed, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) was used as a safety precaution to avoid collisions. With time, AIS use has evolved, and with it, the reliance of vessels have on it. Today, governments and security agencies use AIS to detect and prevent illicit activities at sea. Compliance teams use AIS data as a crucial element of their process with due diligence.
(c) Safety of Life at Seas (SOLAS) sought to instill AIS transmissions as a primary safety tool for all vessels. But AIS was never designed as a tracking tool, nor was it created as a security or risk solution. AIS technology relies on radio frequency and, to some extent, manual data input. This makes it prone to human error or intentional manipulation. Bad actors realized that AIS manipulations were not only possible, but surprisingly easy.
(d) As organizations increased their reliance on AIS, bad actors developed new ways to better hide their illegal operations. Following the 2012 sanctions on Iran, AIS spoofing rose drastically. Iranian tankers, no longer able to enter international ports, simply changed their flags and fraudulently entered international ports. This made it undoubtedly clear that without better monitoring and security tools, AIS spoofing would be impossible to detect and manage.
(e) The Yuk Tung vessel spoofed its AIS entirely when it transmitted under a Panamanian flag, using the vessel name Maika, and altered its course and destination. This occurred on November 11th 2018, after a suspicious ship-to-ship transfer between the Yuk Tung and the Ocean Explorer in October 2018. During the time of the spoofing, the vessel legally authorized and registered a Comoros-flagged vessel, the Hika. The Hika had the same IMO as the Maika. The two vessels were sister ships, built in the same year, by the same manufacturer, with the same specifications and profile. However, during this time, the Hika was actually over 7,000 miles away. Meanwhile, the Maika (aka Yuk Tung) was deceiving authorities under the Hika’s name. This AIS spoofing case made it clear that bad actors had raised the bar.
(f) Cases such as the Yuk Tong and Su Ri Bong highlight why AIS regulations and advisories alone cannot stop bad actors. Businesses need strong technology to stay ahead of the game. To protect themselves from AIS spoofing, organizations need to be able to see beyond what AIS transmissions alone provide.
(g) AI-powered tools can provide critical insights on the behavior of vessels and recognize if the information on the AIS systems matches the historical data of thousands of other vessels. In doing so, AI tools can detect instances of spoofing, helping governments prevent illicit activities, and businesses more confidently vet vessels. Therefore a software like S.M.A.R.T can stand very useful in curtailing such activities and helping maritime agencies.
5. Salient Features :
`S.M.A.R.T will be an Artificial Intelligence powered software.
Assist maritime agency ..