MPA strengthens IT workforce with maritime OT cybersecurity initiative

Singapore targets shipboard cyber skills gap in 2026 programme for IT staff.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will launch a maritime operational technology cybersecurity programme in August 2026 for corporate IT professionals in shipping companies.

In a press release, the MPA said thr initiative developed with the Singapore Shipping Association, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), follows a 2024 memorandum of understanding to strengthen maritime cybersecurity capabilities and build a talent pipeline.

The programme addresses cyber risks linked to increased digitalisation and connectivity between shipboard and shore-based systems, with shipping companies requiring IT professionals familiar with navigation, propulsion, and power management systems.

Targeted at corporate IT staff, the course focuses on strengthening cyber resilience in shipboard systems, including threat vectors, incident response, and cybersecurity integration in vessel design.

The two-month programme combines online learning with in-person training at SIT’s Punggol campus, alongside applied exercises at SUTD’s Centre for Research in Cyber Security, using the Maritime Testbed of Shipboard Operational Technology to simulate cyber incidents.

It will run quarterly, is subsidised under the SkillsFuture scheme, and is expected to train about 70 participants annually.