Security, Defence, Technology and Specialised Sectors

Maritime security, geopolitics and risk glossary

Protection of merchant shipping against deliberate harm: chokepoint geopolitics and rerouting, anti-piracy practice under the BMP series with PCASP, citadels, UKMTO, and ReCAAP, sanctions compliance and the dark fleet (OFAC, the oil price cap, AIS spoofing and STS transfers), cybersecurity under MSC.428(98), the ISPS Code and its security roles, MARSEC levels, LRIT and SSAS tracking, war risk and the Joint War Committee, and kidnap-and-ransom response.

326 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

A2/AD: Anti-access/area-denial strategy aimed at preventing adversary forces from entering or operating freely in a maritime zone.
Abandon ship drill: Mandatory drill under SOLAS Chapter III.
Active Passage Plan: ECDIS route under execution, monitored for cross-track deviation and safety contour breaches.
Advance Notice of Arrival (ANOA): USCG-required pre-arrival report (96-hour rule) for vessels entering US ports.
Aegis Combat System: Although naval, integrates with maritime domain awareness picture for high-end threats.
AIS Class A: Mandatory transponder for SOLAS vessels broadcasting MMSI, position, course, speed.
AIS Class B: Lower-power transponder used by smaller, non-SOLAS craft.
AIS Dark Activity: Deliberate switching off of AIS, common in sanctions evasion.
AIS Spoofing: Falsifying AIS data (MMSI, position, identity) to disguise vessel movements.
Al-Shabaab Maritime Threat: Somali-linked extremist exposure in the western Indian Ocean.
Anchorage Watch: Continuous bridge watch at anchor for drift, security, and traffic.
Anti-Piracy Bridge Procedures: BMP-aligned hardening, lookout, and citadel readiness routines.
Approved Security Equipment: Equipment listed in the SSP, maintained per ISPS A/13.
Area of Heightened Risk (AoHR): BMP-defined zone where enhanced anti-piracy measures apply.
Arms Embargo: UN, EU, or national prohibition on transferring weapons to listed states or entities.
Article 100 UNCLOS: Duty of states to cooperate in repressing piracy.
Article 101 UNCLOS: Definition of piracy.
Article 105 UNCLOS: Seizure of pirate ships and prosecution.
Article 110 UNCLOS: Right of visit on the high seas.
Article 111 UNCLOS: Right of hot pursuit.
Article 17 UNCLOS: Right of innocent passage through territorial sea.
Article 19 UNCLOS: Activities rendering passage non-innocent.
Article 25 UNCLOS: Coastal state rights to prevent non-innocent passage.
Article 27 UNCLOS: Criminal jurisdiction on board foreign ships.
Article 33 UNCLOS: Contiguous zone enforcement authority.
Article 38 UNCLOS: Right of transit passage through straits used for international navigation.
Article 56 UNCLOS: Coastal state rights in the Exclusive Economic Zone.
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF): Multilateral security dialogue including maritime confidence-building.
Atalanta (EUNAVFOR Operation): EU naval mission countering piracy off Somalia.
Australia Group: Export-control regime for chemical and biological weapons precursors.
Authorized Economic Operator (AEO): Customs-recognized trusted trader with simplified controls.
Automated Targeting System (ATS): US CBP risk-scoring tool for inbound cargo.
Auxiliary Maritime Patrol Aircraft: Civilian or contracted aircraft supporting MDA missions.

B

Bab-el-Mandeb Strait: Chokepoint between Yemen and Djibouti linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Background Screening: Vetting of shore and ship personnel for ISPS access.
Baltic Exchange Cyber Incident 2020: Notable industry awareness episode for maritime cyber risk.
Banned Vessel List: Roster of ships excluded from a port or jurisdiction.
Beneficial Ownership: True natural-person ownership behind corporate vessel holding structures.
Best Management Practices (BMP): Industry-issued anti-piracy guidance; current edition is BMP5.
Black Sea Grain Initiative: 2022 to 2023 UN/Turkey-brokered safe corridor for Ukrainian grain exports.
Blacklist (Sanctions): List of designated parties subject to asset freeze or trade prohibition.
Blocking Statute: EU Regulation 2271/96 protecting EU operators from extraterritorial US sanctions.
BMP East Africa: Earlier BMP edition focused on Somali piracy region.
BMP West Africa: Guidance tailored to Gulf of Guinea threat profile.
Boarding Party: Armed team conducting visit, search and seizure under naval authority.
Bosphorus Strait: Turkish-controlled strait governed by the Montreux Convention.
Bow-Tie Risk Model: Causal mapping linking threats, controls, and consequences for maritime risk.
Bridge Access Control: Restricted entry to navigation bridge per SSP procedures.
Bulker High-Risk Voyage: Voyage requiring enhanced security tier under charterparty war clauses.
Bunker Convention 2001: International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage.

C

Cape of Good Hope Route: Alternative routing around southern Africa avoiding the Suez/Red Sea.
Cargo Tracking Note (CTN): West African pre-shipment cargo notification document.
Cash for Crew: Crew piracy ransom obligation distinct from cargo recovery.
Certificate of Compliance (ISPS): International Ship Security Certificate (ISSC) issued by RSO/flag.
China Coast Guard Law 2021: PRC law authorizing use of force in claimed waters.
Chokepoint: Narrow maritime passage whose closure disrupts global trade flows.
CISO: Chief Information Security Officer overseeing IT/OT cyber governance.
Citadel: Hardened on-board refuge for crew during piracy boarding.
Clandestine Migration by Sea: Irregular movement of persons across maritime borders.
Coalition Task Force (CTF) 150: CMF counter-terrorism task force in Gulf of Aden/Arabian Sea.
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF): 38-nation Bahrain-based multinational naval partnership.
Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE): EU framework integrating maritime surveillance data.
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE): Catalog of publicly disclosed cyber flaws.
Company Security Officer (CSO): ISPS-designated shore officer responsible for ship security.
Compliance Communication (OFAC): A Framework for OFAC Compliance Commitments (2019).
Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs): Risk-reduction practices among naval forces.
Container Security Initiative (CSI): CBP program pre-screening US-bound containers in foreign ports.
Contiguous Zone: Zone up to 24 nm where the coastal state may enforce customs, fiscal, immigration, and sanitary laws (UNCLOS Article 33).
Contraband: Goods prohibited from carriage to a belligerent under prize law.
Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts (SUA 1988): Treaty criminalizing acts against ship safety.
Crew Familiarization: Onboard induction including security duties per ISPS.
Crew List: Required document used in port clearance and screening.
Critical Infrastructure: Designated systems whose disruption has national-security impact, including ports.
CTF 151: CMF counter-piracy task force.
CTF 152: CMF Arabian Gulf security task force.
CTF 153: CMF Red Sea/Bab-el-Mandeb task force.
Cyber Hygiene: Routine practices (patching, passwords, segmentation) reducing OT/IT risk.
Cyber Risk Management (MSC.428(98)): IMO resolution requiring cyber risks be addressed in the SMS.

D

Dark Fleet: Ships obscuring identity or ownership to evade sanctions, also called shadow fleet.
Dark Port Call: Cargo operation without AIS broadcast.
Declaration of Security (DoS): ISPS-required agreement between ship and port or two ships.
Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): Network-traffic analysis for cyber defense.
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Network segment separating IT and OT systems on board.
Denial of Service (DoS) Attack: Flooding attack disrupting shipboard or port services.
Designated Authority (ISPS): National body responsible for ISPS implementation.
Designated Person Ashore (DPA): Required by ISM Code section 4.
Diplomatic Clearance: Authorization for naval/state vessel entry into foreign waters.
DPRK Sanctions Regime: UNSC and unilateral measures restricting maritime trade with North Korea.
Drug Trafficking by Sea: Maritime narcotics smuggling addressed by 1988 Vienna Convention.
Dual-Use Goods: Items with civilian and military applications subject to export control.

E

East Africa High Risk Area: Former piracy HRA off Somalia, removed from BMP scope January 2023.
ECCN (Export Control Classification Number): US EAR designator for controlled goods.
ECDIS Cyber Risk: Vulnerabilities arising from chart-update USB media and network ports.
Embargo: Restriction on movement of goods to a country.
Encryption-At-Rest: Protection of stored ship/port data.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Cyber tooling for shipboard endpoints.
Engine Room Access Control: Restricted entry under ISPS access regime.
Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD): Heightened KYC for high-risk counterparties.
EU Maritime Security Strategy: 2014 (revised 2023) framework for EU action.
EU NIS2 Directive: 2022 EU cyber directive covering critical infrastructure including ports.
EU Sanctions Map: Official portal listing EU restrictive measures.
EUNAVFOR Med (Irini): EU mission enforcing the UN arms embargo on Libya.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): 200 nm zone of coastal state sovereign rights over resources.
Extraterritorial Sanctions: Sanctions whose reach extends to non-US persons via US nexus.

F

Facility Security Assessment (FSA): ISPS-required port facility risk study.
Facility Security Plan (FSP): Approved plan implementing FSA mitigations.
False Flag: Ship displaying ensign or AIS identity of another state to mask identity.
FAST (Free and Secure Trade): US-Canada/Mexico expedited cargo program.
Financial Action Task Force (FATF): Standard-setter on AML/CFT, including shipping risk typologies.
Firewall (OT): Network device segregating navigation/automation networks from IT.
First Notification (UKMTO): Initial vessel report upon entering Voluntary Reporting Area.
Flag State Enforcement: Flag state's primary duty over its registered vessels.
Floating Armory: Vessel storing weapons for PCASP outside territorial seas.
FOIP (Free and Open Indo-Pacific): US/Japan-led strategic concept.
Force Majeure (Security): Charterparty clause invocable for war-risk or piracy events.
Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR): Thermal imaging used in anti-piracy lookout.
Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP): Naval transit asserting UNCLOS rights.
Fusion Center (Maritime): Regional MDA hub correlating multi-source data.

G

General License (OFAC): Authorization for otherwise prohibited transactions.
Geofencing: Virtual perimeter for AIS or fleet management alerts.
Geopolitical Risk Premium: Insurance/freight loading reflecting regional instability.
GIA (Joint Hull Committee Gulf Listing): JWC-listed area triggering AP premium.
GIANT (Gulf of Aden Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor): Patrolled transit corridor managed by CMF.
GNSS Jamming: Deliberate radio interference blocking satellite navigation.
GNSS Spoofing: Transmission of false signals to mislead PNT receivers.
Gray Zone Operations: Coercive activities below the threshold of armed conflict.
Group of Friends of Maritime Security: UN coordination mechanism.
Gulf of Guinea Declaration on Suppression of Piracy: 2021 industry/government commitment.
Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum: SHADE-style coordination body.
Gulf of Oman: Strategic approach to the Strait of Hormuz.

H

Hardening (Vessel): Physical anti-piracy measures (razor wire, water cannon, dummies).
Hawala: Informal value transfer system relevant to sanctions/piracy ransom inquiry.
High Risk Area (HRA): Industry-designated piracy zone; Indian Ocean HRA removed Jan 2023.
High Seas (UNCLOS Part VII): Waters beyond national jurisdiction.
HMG Sanctions Notice: UK OFSI publication on designations.
Honeypot (OT): Decoy system used to detect intrusion attempts.
Hormuz, Strait of: Persian Gulf chokepoint critical to oil exports.
Hostage Negotiation: Specialist crisis response in piracy/K&R incidents.
Hot Pursuit: Coastal-state right under UNCLOS Article 111.
Houthi Maritime Threat: Yemen-based actor threatening Red Sea/Bab-el-Mandeb shipping.
HRA (Indian Ocean): Formerly delimited area for BMP application.
HVU (High-Value Unit): Escorted ship requiring protective formation.

I

IACS UR E26/E27: Unified Requirements on ship cyber resilience (new builds 2024+).
IAMSAR Manual: Joint IMO/ICAO SAR procedures manual.
ICAO Annex 12: Aeronautical SAR provisions complementing maritime SAR.
IGC Code: International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk.
IHS Lloyd's List Intelligence: Vessel tracking and sanctions intelligence provider.
ILO MLC Security: Crew welfare obligations during piracy and detention.
IMB Piracy Reporting Centre: ICC International Maritime Bureau center in Kuala Lumpur.
IMO MSC.428(98): Maritime cyber risk management in SMS.
IMO Number: Unique seven-digit ship identifier from IHS Markit on behalf of IMO.
IMO Resolution A.1106(29): Revised LRIT guidelines.
Information Fusion Centre Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR): India-hosted MDA hub at Gurugram.
Information Fusion Centre Singapore (IFC): RSN-hosted regional MDA hub.
Innocent Passage: Right of foreign ships through the territorial sea under UNCLOS Articles 17-32.
Insider Threat: Cyber/security risk from authorized personnel.
Integrated Bridge System (IBS) Cyber Risk: Networked navigation systems exposing attack surface.
Interception (Naval): Stopping a vessel under flag-state, sanctions, or self-defense authority.
International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoCA): Voluntary standard for PSCs.
International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC): Patrolled corridor in the Gulf of Aden.
International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code: SOLAS XI-2 mandatory code adopted 2002.
International Ship Security Certificate (ISSC): Document evidencing ISPS compliance.
ISO 28000: Supply-chain security management standard.
ISO/IEC 27001: Information security management standard widely adopted in shipping.
ISO/IEC 27019: Information security for process control in energy/utilities, mirrored in OT.

J

Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC): CMF-hosted commercial liaison cell in Bahrain.
Joint War Committee (JWC): Lloyd's/IUA committee publishing listed areas for war/strikes risk.
Jurisdictional Nexus: US-dollar clearing or US-person link triggering US sanctions jurisdiction.
JWC Bulletin: Periodic publication amending listed areas.
JWC Listed Areas: Geographic zones triggering hull war additional premium.

K

K and R Insurance: Kidnap and ransom cover for crew piracy events.
Key Risk Indicator (KRI): Metric tracking exposure to security or sanctions risk.
KYC (Know Your Counterparty): Due diligence on charterers, owners, and cargo interests.
KYV (Know Your Vessel): Vessel-level screening including flag, class, P&I, ownership chain.

L

Lashing Detection (Stowaway): Inspection regimes for void spaces.
Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET): USCG team embarked on partner navy ships.
Layered Security: Defense-in-depth combining procedural, physical, and cyber controls.
Letter of Authorization (LOA): Flag-state permit for PCASP embarkation.
Letter of Indemnity (Sanctions): Indemnity addressing potential sanctions exposure.
Liability Convention 1969/1992 CLC: Civil liability for oil pollution from tankers.
Lloyd's Open Form (LOF 2020): Standard no-cure-no-pay salvage contract.
Lloyd's Salvage Arbitration: London arbitral mechanism under LOF.
Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT): Required under SOLAS V/19-1.
LRIT Conformance Test Report (CTR): Document confirming shipboard equipment conformance.
LRIT Data Centre (DC): National/regional/cooperative center receiving LRIT messages.

M

Malacca Strait: Chokepoint between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Malacca Strait Patrols (MSP): Trilateral coordinated patrols by IDN, MYS, SGP, THA.
Maritime Cyber Security Awareness Training: STCW-aligned training pursuant to MSC.428(98).
Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA): Effective understanding of anything in the maritime domain affecting security.
Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006: ILO instrument, security-relevant for crew welfare in K&R cases.
Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA): Earlier Gulf of Aden corridor concept.
Maritime Single Window (MSW): FAL Convention-mandated digital port clearance interface.
Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA): US 2002 ISPS-implementing statute.
MARSEC Level 1: Normal security level under ISPS/USCG.
MARSEC Level 2: Heightened security level.
MARSEC Level 3: Exceptional/incident-imminent level.
MASE Programme: EU/IOC maritime security capacity-building in the western Indian Ocean.
Master's Discretion (Security): Master's overriding authority for ship safety/security.
MERCY (USNS Mercy): Hospital ship, illustrative of auxiliary classes (defense overlap).
Military Cargo (Section 233 Iran-related): Designated controlled cargo categories.
MIO (Maritime Interdiction Operation): Naval boarding and search action.
Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR): Export-control regime for missile-related items.
Money Laundering Typology (Shipping): FATF-described patterns including over/under-invoicing.
MOU on Port State Control: Regional port-state inspection agreements (Paris, Tokyo, etc.).
MOWCA: Maritime Organization for West and Central Africa.
MSC-IO (Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean): Successor to MSCHOA functions, 2024.
MSCHOA: Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (EUNAVFOR).

N

Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention 2007: Liability and compulsory insurance for wreck removal.
National Counter-Piracy Centre: State-level coordination body (e.g., NCAGS).
National Vetting Programme: Government-led oil-major vetting backstop.
Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS): NATO/AU coordination doctrine.
NCSC Maritime Sector Guidance: UK National Cyber Security Centre publications.
NIST CSF: US cybersecurity framework, adopted in many ship cyber baselines.
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT): Treaty referenced in interdiction operations.
Nordic Maritime Cyber Resilience Forum: Industry initiative on cyber baseline.
Notice to Mariners (NtM): Hydrographic-office bulletins, including security warnings.

O

OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control): US Treasury sanctions enforcement body.
OFAC 50% Rule: Sanctions extending to entities 50%+ owned by SDNs.
OFAC Advisory on Sanctions Risks for the Maritime Industry (2020): Tripartite advisory with State/USCG.
OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List: Primary US designations list.
Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI): UK Treasury counterpart to OFAC.
Operation Aspides: 2024 EU defensive Red Sea mission.
Operation Atalanta: EUNAVFOR mission off Somalia (since 2008).
Operation Ocean Shield: NATO counter-piracy mission (2009 to 2016).
Operation Prosperity Guardian: 2023 to 2024 US-led Red Sea defensive coalition.
OT (Operational Technology): Shipboard control systems (engine, cargo, navigation).
OT/IT Convergence: Integration creating shared cyber attack surface.

P

P&I Sanctions Clause: Cover-excluding provision for sanctioned trades.
Panama Canal: Atlantic-Pacific chokepoint under ACP control.
Panama Canal Authority (ACP): Autonomous authority operating the canal.
Panama Maritime Authority (AMP): Flag administration with large registry.
Pareto Risk Profile (Sanctions): Concentration of risk in small share of voyages.
Patch Management: Cyber-control practice for shipboard systems.
PCASP (Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel): Embarked armed guards on merchant ships.
PEP (Politically Exposed Person): Heightened-risk counterparty category.
Persistent Identity (Vessel): Combined IMO, MMSI, call sign, name identity set.
Phishing: Cyber social-engineering vector targeting crew and shore staff.
Piracy (UNCLOS Art 101): Illegal acts of violence/detention for private ends on high seas.
Pirate Action Group (PAG): Tactical Somali piracy unit (skiff and mothership).
Pirate Skiff: Small fast craft used in approach phase.
Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO): ISPS-designated port-facility officer.
Port Facility Security Plan (PFSP): Approved ISPS-compliant port plan.
Port State Control (PSC): Inspection of foreign-flag ships in port to verify convention compliance.
Pre-Arrival Notification of Security (PANS): ISPS-mandated 24-hour security report.
Price Cap Coalition: G7+ measure on Russian oil export pricing (Dec 2022).
Prize Court: Tribunal adjudicating captured vessels and cargo.
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI): 2003 multilateral initiative to interdict WMD-related transfers.

Q

Q-Ship: Historic decoy armed merchantman; archaic but cited in doctrine.
Quarantine Anchorage: Designated area for health/security-screened arrivals.

R

Ransomware: Malware encrypting systems and demanding payment; major shipping cyber threat.

Explore the Security, Defence, Technology and Specialised Sectors portal