MIDDLETOWN, R.I., June 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the maritime industry turns to digitalization to help improve operational efficiency, there is increasing awareness of the importance of protecting networks and vessels from cyber risks. KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI ), today announced “6-Level Cybersecurity,” a cohesive group of initiatives designed to provide proactive cybersecurity protection for the KVH hardware and maritime VSAT satellite network used by its global maritime customers.
“KVH’s approach to the extremely important issue of cybersecurity is to address the complexity in numerous ways, from training seafarers with our KVH Videotel TM ‘Cybersecurity at Sea’ program—which we will begin making available at no cost to our VSAT customers this month—to the many network safeguards we have in place,” says Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH’s chief executive officer. A key level of KVH’s cybersecurity strategy addresses the important issue of seafarer training, as many incidents throughout the maritime industry can begin unknowingly with the crew. Effective this month, all vessels subscribing to KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband sm connectivity service will be able to receive the KVH Videotel “Cybersecurity at Sea” training program at no cost. The program, created in conjunction with maritime experts and based on regulations from the International Maritime Organization and guidelines from the shipping trade group BIMCO, covers such topics as assessing and reducing the risks of a cyber incident and responding to a cyber incident. Other levels of KVH’s cybersecurity strategy involve: satellite network security; terrestrial network security; hardware and network configuration; protected Internet egress; and response to threats and incidents. For satellite network security, KVH implements numerous infrastructure safeguards and different types of authentication, encryption, or proprietary air interfaces. For the terrestrial network, KVH’s system is designed to provide traffic separation and to route global satellite traffic over private circuits to MegaPOPs, where Internet egress occurs. “To enhance the security of transmissions between ship and shore, we’ve designed our system so that traffic does not touch the Internet before going through edge security devices at MegaPOPs,” notes Rick Driscoll, KVH’s vice president of satellite products & services. KVH’s cyber strategy also targets the security of KVH hardware and network configuration. For example, onboard local area network (LAN) segmentation can be configured for operations, crew networks, and third-party charter networks via firewall. In addition, the myKVH TM portal is designed to provide the ability to enforce a crew login requirement on the vessel prior to accessing networked vessel systems or the Internet. KVH’s cybersecurity strategy also focuses on protected Internet egress, including: application-level Universal Threat Management (UTM) firewalls in each KVH MegaPOP; application-level traffic shapers; multiple forms of threat blocking; and optional global static IP addresses. Assisting a vessel or fleet in response to a cybersecurity incident is also part of KVH’s cyber strategy. KVH provides a cybersecurity incident response team if a fleet suspects a cybersecurity attack, with the goal to manage and minimize the risk as quickly as possible. “We are working to continually upgrade our network security and our processes to reduce cyber risks for the vessels and fleets that rely on KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband connectivity,” says Mr. Kits van Heyningen. “As the maritime industry continues to embrace digitalization, we are committed to continuing to be proactive about cybersecurity.” KVH is a mobile tech innovator that provides connectivity solutions for commercial maritime, leisure marine, and land mobile applications on vessels and vehicles, including the award-winning TracPhone ® and TracVision ® product lines, the global mini-VSAT Broadband network, and AgilePlans™ Connectivity as a Service (CaaS). The company’s Videotel business is a market-leading provider of training films, computer-based training, and eLearning for the maritime industry, and its KVH Media Group provides news, sports, and entertainment content with such brands as NEWSlink™ and SPORTSlink™.
Note to Editors: For more information about KVH’s cybersecurity strategy, please visit kvh.com/cybersecurity. High-resolution images of KVH products are available at the KVH Press Room Image Library, kvh.com/Press-Room/Image-Library.
About KVH Industries, Inc. KVH Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: KVHI ), is a global leader in mobile connectivity and inertial navigation systems, innovating to enable a mobile world. A market leader in maritime VSAT, KVH designs, manufactures, and provides connectivity and content services globally. KVH is also a premier manufacturer of high-performance sensors and integrated inertial systems for defense and commercial applications. Founded in 1982, the company is based in Middletown, RI, with research, development, and manufacturing operations in Middletown, RI, and Tinley Park, IL, and more than a dozen offices around the globe.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. For example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding our cybersecurity program and its effectiveness, including our incident response system, and potential future improvements to the program. Actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Factors that might cause these differences include, but are not limited to: the possibility that our current and future systems do or will contain undetected vulnerabilities; the risk that the defensive steps we have taken will not effectively prevent, delay, or contain potential cyberattacks; the risk that customers will not take advantage of the protections we offer; the risk that hacker capabilities will accelerate faster than our defensive abilities; and unanticipated costs of operating our cybersecurity program at the desired level of continuous effectiveness. Our risk factors are discussed in more detail in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2, 2018. Copies are available through our Investor Relations department and website, investors.kvh.com. We do not assume any obligation to update our forward-looking statements to reflect new information and developments.
KVH Industries, Inc. has used, registered, or applied to register its trademarks in the U.S.A. and other countries around the world, including but not limited to the following marks: KVH, mini-VSAT Broadband, Videotel, myKVH, TracPhone, TracVision, AgilePlans, NEWSlink and SPORTSlink. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.
For further information, please contact: Jill Connors Media Relations & Industry Analyst Manager KVH Industries, Inc. Tel: +1 401 851 3824 jconnors@kvh.com
