On December 5, at the 2025 China Maritime, CSSC Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI). formally received the first Onboard Cybersecurity Certificate of Approval in Principle (AIP) issued by the Korean Register (KR).
Currently, vessels have become mobile data centers at sea, constantly generating, transmitting, and processing massive amounts of digital information. However, while digitalization is driving a leap in industry efficiency, it has also led to an exponential increase in cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity incidents in the shipping industry are increasing year by year, and a single cyberattack could cause a massive vessel adrift in the digital realm. The resilience of onboard networks has thus become a critical line of defense for maritime safety.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has incorporated cyber resilience into the foundational principles of ship survivability. The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) further clarified in its 2023 revision of UR E26/27 that “newbuildings contracted after July 1, 2024 must comply with mandatory cybersecurity regulations.” This signifies that compliance is no longer an industry option but rather an essential “entry pass” for the newbuilding market, presenting fresh challenges for the digital transformation of China’s shipbuilding enterprises.
In response to new industry regulations and market demands, GSI focuses on core aspects such as onboard cybersecurity solution design, network equipment configuration, full-ship cybersecurity testing, and product cybersecurity verification. The cybersecurity solutions developed by GSI are fully tailored to the unique characteristics of maritime operations, meeting the latest cybersecurity regulations of international classification societies and various countries, and achieving deep integration with practical applications, thus laying a solid security foundation for the digital transformation of ships.
KR has established a professional and authoritative ship cybersecurity AIP certification system through its profound understanding of maritime regulations, building a trusted bridge between standards and practices for the industry. GSI’s achievement of securing KR China’s first ship cybersecurity AIP certificate not only signifies that GSI’s cybersecurity technical capabilities have gained high recognition from an internationally authoritative body, but also marks another solid footprint for China’s shipbuilding industry in the digital security arena.