Cyber Challenges amid the Digital Revolution in Maritime Transport

The smart shipping and maritime technology encompass blockchain and smart contracts technology, information perception technology, intelligent decision-making technology, intelligent routing technology, marine communication network security technology, route planning technology, autonomous navigation technology, state monitoring and fault diagnosis technology and so on. Nevertheless, these advancements bring practical and legal challenges, as well as a new threat in the digital age: cybercrime. This paper deals with the key challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of digital technologies in shipping and transport such as smart contracts and unmanned ships, and how do cyber issues impact the safety, security, and efficiency of maritime operations. The first part examines the technological background into which smart contracts are integrated and operate, i.e. the terms blockchain and technology distributed ledger technology. The concept, the mechanism and the types of smart contracts in the maritime industry are further analysed. Also, the aspects of new technologies such as Autonomous Vessels and the challenges they raise are examined. The second part focuses on the legal potential of smart contracts examining their issues and the cyber challenges in the maritime industry. The critical remarks and conclusions drawn are listed at the end of the paper.