CYBERSECURITY
Bridging the IT–OT divide in ports By Walter Anderson, Founder, PortSecure Cybersecurity | CISO, Nanaimo Port Authority
L ast year, a ransomware attack forced Japan’s Port of Nagoya to shut down container oper- ations for two days. A few months later, DP World Australia faced a simi- lar disruption. Different ports, same root cause: a widening gap between IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operational Technology) systems. Every port leader I speak with knows it. Digital modernization has outpaced security integration. For port leaders, it’s not just about lost data — it’s about ships delayed, trucks idling, and communities wait- ing for goods that can’t move. What was once a purely technical problem now touches supply chains, liveli- hoods, and national economies. Ports have always moved things. Now they move data, and with it, new risk. Modern terminals rely on cranes, sensors, and yard management systems
For port leaders, it’s not just about lost data — it’s about ships delayed, trucks idling, and communities waiting for goods that can’t move.
often introduce new systems that quietly remain online. It’s rarely inten- tional; it’s a symptom of progress mov- ing faster than governance. The first step in closing this gap is visibility. We can’t protect what we can’t see. Once teams map their assets and understand where IT overlaps with OT, they gain the clarity to manage risk instead of reacting to it. Visibility transforms cybersecurity from a tech- nical issue into an operational strategy. “Visibility changes everything.” People, not just passwords Cybersecurity isn’t only about net- works; it’s about people. In every organization I’ve supported, the
tied into billing, scheduling, and ana- lytics platforms. The efficiency gains are enormous, but the exposure is just as significant. When a single phishing email or compromised vendor creden- tial crosses that unseen bridge between IT and OT, the result can be measured not in data loss but in halted cargo flow and economic disruption. Seeing the invisible In my work with Canadian port authorities and critical infrastruc- ture operators, I’ve seen how quickly OT networks evolve and how easy it is to lose sight of what’s connected. Equipment upgrades, vendor mainten- ance sessions, and technology pilots
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