The Roles of Port FSO and MTSA 2002 and the Maritime Cyber Terrorism

Port Security: Essay Questions

Question 1

Security at sea is vital to secure international trade and ensure safe maritime navigations. It entails preparedness and response policies that address the challenges faced by the international maritime community. In the contemporary world, a terrorist or cyber-attack at seas involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield-explosion devices or weapons can devastating impact the local and global economy. The development of the port FSO positions aimed to enhance the security and safety in the maritime environment. Ports, as entry and exit points into a region or territory, play a significant role in society's wellbeing, meaning that serious problems with the facilities are bound to impact the wider community. Therefore, the role of port FSO is to enhance security at the ports. These roles and responsibilities have been captured under several official documents.

The first document is the Maritime Commerce Security Plan for the National Strategy for Maritime Security, established in 2005. This plan highlights the overall goal of port FSO to support the National Strategy for Homeland Security and the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism (DHS, 2005). The plan also works in tandem with the Maritime Transport System Security Plan, which focuses on the security of transport systems, including vessels and ports. The MCSP focuses on the maritime components of the international supply chain, which means the emphasis is on maritime cargo. The threat assessment encompasses information on cargo, the transportation process, and intermodal connections, including the tail ends of the supply chain such as containerization, trucks, and rail transport. The framework for this plan consists of five parts: accurate data, secure cargo, secure vessels and ports, secure transit, and international stands. Within these dimensions, the overall roles of port FSO are defined. The official document also highlights the processes or procedures that port FSOs would typically be involved in, including collecting advanced cargo information, using automated targeting systems, applying non-intrusive inspection equipment, container security initiative, and mega ports initiative. Overall, this document provides the ultimate role of port FSOs within the more comprehensive national security plan and strategy.

The second document is the American constitution on the roles and responsibilities of port FSOs. In this document, current and prospective port FSOs can find the qualifications required for the roles, training in key knowledge areas, and responsibilities (CM, 2022). For instance, in terms of capabilities, the FSO must know, either through training or job experience, key areas like security organization of a facility, vessel & facility operations, vessel and facility security measures, emergency preparedness, contingency planning, etc. operation of security equipment. On the other hand, key responsibilities include facility security assessment, development of security plans, and training personnel on security issues. The third document is the Overview of Security Regulations by the USCG. In terms of port FSOs, the document highlights the training, drill & exercises, security systems & equipment maintenance, security incident procedure, and facility security measures. These are core areas in which a port FSOs role is realized.

Lastly, the Minimum-Security Criteria by the Us Customs and Border Protection is another important official resource. This resource focuses on the Marine Port Authority and Terminal operators (USCBP, 2020). It focuses on corporate security, risk assessment, business partnerships, cybersecurity, conveyance and instruments of international traffic security, and procedural security. Other key areas include access control and physical and personnel security.

Across the four documents, the overall role of port FSO can be summarized as supporting the current national security plan. Security measures implemented in the past 30 years have responded to various threats by increasing the number of personnel in facility security operations through port FSOs (Willis, 2016). Across the documents described, terrorism has been the primary plan regarding the country's preparedness. The threat of terrorism has increased in recent years, which has prompted improved port security plans and strategies. However, critics have argued that the overemphasis on terrorism may cause officials to overlook mundane threats that could otherwise be potent. According to Eski (2018), the overemphasis on terrorism leads to the potential ignorance of other maritime security threats such as human and drugs trafficking or the movement of counterfeit products that can be equally potent if weaponized. Another key area that stands out within the documents is training. The training of port FSOs, given their important role in national security, is increasingly a priority, especially in the face of port cybersecurity threats. Allen (2019) argues that cybersecurity training is equally as crucial as training against terrorism in port security.

References

Allen, C. H. (2019, December 1). Developing and Implementing a Maritime Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Model. Retrieved from SSRN:

CM. (2022). § 105.205 - Facility Security Officer (FSO). Retrieved from Customs :

DHS. (2005). Maritime Commerce Security Plan for The National Strategy for Maritime Security. Retrieved from Department of Homeland Secusity:

Eski, Y. (2018). Maritime Security: Problems of Security Versus Safety Practices. In L. R. Shapiro, & M.-H. Maras, Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management. Springer Publishers.

USCBP. (2020). Minimum Security Criteria – Marine Port Authority and Terminal Operators. Retrieved from US Customs and Border Protection:

Willis, H. H. (2016, April 6). Ten Years After the Safe Port Act, Are America's Ports Secure? Retrieved from RAND:   Question 2 The Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 is an Act of Congress that was enacted to waterway and maritime port security in response to 9/11. The laws underpin the US implementation of the International Ship and Facility Security Code (ISPS) that unites the global maritime community (UNCTAD, 2016). The MTSA provided extensive recommendations and strategies for addressing port security issues ranging from port and vessel vulnerability assessment to development of security plans in tandem with projected security threat potential. Security plans cover issues like vehicle, passenger, & baggage screening, personnel identification & physical access restrictions, surveillance equipment, and security personnel. The MTSA also established a risk-based approach focusing on sector areas with high risk of involvement in a transport security incidence including gas platforms and port facilities that handle dangerous cargo (Kapperman, 2021). Another key recommendation, which is the focus of the current section, was the establishment of committees in all nation's ports. These committees would provide localized coordination of activities of all port stakeholders, including other local, state, & federal agencies, the maritime industry organizations, and the boating public. The committees are called Area Maritime Security Committees or AMSCs. AMSCs are voluntary, public-private partnerships composed of representatives the private sector and the security sector including police, emergency services, maritime industry, academia and labor. The purpose of AMSCs is to identify natural and manmade...