SAFEDIGIMAR

As digitalisation accelerates across the maritime industry, cyber threats have become a critical challenge for ports, shipping companies, and maritime infrastructure. SAFEDIGIMAR is a flagship European initiative designed to protect, strengthen, and future-proof the maritime and port sector against cyberattacks.

Bringing together leading organisations — France Cyber Maritime, the Federazione del Sistema Marittimo Italiano, and the Federation of European Private Port Companies and Terminals (FEPORT) — the SAFEDIGIMAR consortium is united by a shared ambition: to raise cybersecurity awareness, enhance resilience, and support effective compliance with the NIS2 Directive across Europe’s maritime ecosystem.

SAFEDIGIMAR is built around three strategic objectives:

• Raising the level of cybersecurity across the EU maritime sector by strengthening network and information systems and supporting organisations in meeting the requirements of the NIS2 Directive.
• Establishing efficient, secure, and harmonised incident notification processes, including a cross-border reporting mechanism for essential and important entities such as ports and terminal operators.
• Enhancing cooperation with law enforcement and national authorities, ensuring timely reporting of cyber incidents and effective operational coordination at both EU and Member State level.

The project helps identify vulnerabilities, improve detection capabilities, and build a strong cybersecurity culture across the maritime and port community.

SAFEDIGIMAR delivers concrete, operational solutions. A dedicated diagnostic tool enables maritime and port stakeholders to assess cyber risks and implement cost-effective improvements across operational, technical, and human dimensions.

Through M-CERT, the project offers real-time support to detect suspicious activities such as malicious emails and compromised files. Alerts are shared with the Maritime Security Operations Centre (MSOC) and consolidated within a sectoral EU-level Security Operations Centre (SOC). This ensures rapid response, expert analysis, and immediate assistance for affected organisations — when it matters most.

A cornerstone of SAFEDIGIMAR is its comprehensive Education and Training Programme, developed in close cooperation with ENSM and the French Merchant Navy Assembly. The programme delivers:

• Tailored cybersecurity training for maritime professionals
• Daily monitoring and victim support
• Crisis management exercises and incident simulations
• Identification and mapping of maritime-specific cyber threat ecosystems

In addition, SAFEDIGIMAR will host webinars on the NIS2 Directive, international conferences, panel discussions, workshops at major maritime trade fairs, and ad hoc expert meetings. A standardised European training syllabus will ensure consistent, high-quality learning across the sector.

By pooling expertise, resources, and costs, SAFEDIGIMAR offers high-impact, cost-efficient solutions for its beneficiaries. The project establishes a trusted European cybersecurity network that enables continuous information-sharing on emerging threats, helping the sector to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber incidents in a timely and coordinated manner.