Ethical considerations in maritime cybersecurity research

Maritime transportation, an essential component of world trade, is performed by contemporary vessels. Despite the improvements that rapid advances in technology have brought to vessels’ operational efficiency and capability for safe navigation, the cyber risks associated with modern systems have increased apace. Widespread publicity regarding cyber incidents onboard ships has sparked extensive research on the part of universities, industry, and governmental organisations seeking to understand cyber risks. Consequently, researchers have discovered and disclosed an increasing number of threats and vulnerabilities in this context, providing information that in itself may pose a threat when accessed by the wrong parties. Thus, this paper aims to raise researchers’ awareness of ethical concerns and provide guidance for sound decision-making in areas where the research process must be handled carefully to avoid harm. To this end, this paper presents a literature review that explores the ethical issues involved in maritime cybersecurity research and provides specific examples to promote further understanding. Six ethical principles and four categories of ethical dilemmas are discussed. Finally, the paper offers recommendations that can guide researchers in dealing with any ethical conflicts that may arise while studying maritime cybersecurity.