cyber-SHIP lab
  • £3.2 million hardware-based, fully configurable maritime IT&OT cyber security research platform.
  • Individual ships’ bridges, or system-of-systems’ cyber resilience evaluation across all ship classes.
  • Actionable research outputs: knowledge tools and training addressing maritime cyber security issues from hardware to software to people.

Cyber-SHIP Lab is a unique, hardware-based maritime cyber security research and development platform.

The vessels, infrastructure and people that facilitate international maritime supply chains, on which more than 90% of the world trade and economic security depends, rely on an unusually disparate, sometimes dated, and increasingly autonomous collection of information and operational technology (IT&OT).
Cyber-SHIP Lab’s research is focused on building cyber threat resilience in this uniquely complex, valuable and vulnerable sector.
Anywhere there is IT&OT and people, there are cyber security vulnerabilities. This, of course, includes ship and port systems and the humans that operate or supervise them.
In partnership with industry, government and NGOs, Cyber-SHIP Lab’s researchers analyse and address cyber security at the hardware, software, and human levels to identify, understand and mitigate threats. We publish actionable research and develop practical tools and training.
Working as part of our Centre for Marine Autonomy, Maritime Cyber Security and Technology (CMAST) , Cyber-SHIP Lab currently evaluates ships’ physical IT&OT systems, and systems-of-systems across all ship classes.  
In the medium-term, Cyber-SHIP Lab’s research objectives will move on to include cyber threats around ship/port interactions, autonomous vessels and port systems, and enabling secure-by-design maritime systems across the supply chain. We anticipate this work will have wider application into offshore operations and transport infrastructure.
Delivering on the UK’s defence and security priorities: discover how this work is enhancing our national resilience in an ever-changing world.  

About us

Cyber-SHIP Lab researchers at work
About

Cyber-SHIP Lab is a springboard to develop resources that equip the maritime sector to achieve cyber resilience on a par with best-prepared technology and financial organisations.
Navigation and Maritime Science
Our vision

A maritime sector at least as cyber threat resilient as the best-prepared commercial and government organisations.
Cyber-SHIP Lab researchers at work
Our mission

Securing maritime operations through world-leading cyber resilience research, tools and training.

Cyber-SHIP Lab video walkthrough

Join us for this virtual tour of the University of Plymouth's £3.2m, Research England and Industry-funded Cyber-SHIP Lab. Discover more about our unique, hardware-based, configurable research, software development and training platform.

Cyber-SHIP Lab in detail

We undertake and share fundamental research into cyber audit and attack visualisation using advanced approaches, including artificial intelligence. This vital work informs development of meaningful solutions and mitigations. The Lab provides a space for demonstrations and informs outreach and training. It enables maritime cyber security best practice and policy adoption, helping to secure international supply chains, economies, and seafarers' lives.
Cyber-SHIP Lab is supported by Research England and maritime industry partners, including fleet owners and operators, equipment manufacturers, classification societies and insurers.
Cyber attacks cost maritime companies millions, threaten national security and endanger lives.
While cyber security is relatively well understood in most sectors despite rapid adoption of digital and technology in the maritime sector, it is not well prepared to meet and mitigate cyber and cyber-physical attacks and accidents.
Cyber-SHIP Lab addresses this by building understanding, tools and training to deal with the complex and interlinked cyber security issues in the unique maritime context.
Researchers from the University of Plymouth’s Maritime Cyber Threats research group lead the Cyber-SHIP Lab project. This combines multidisciplinary research and practical expertise from across the University and beyond. It builds on our extensive track record of research in areas including:
  • threats and impacts across maritime cyber security
  • cyber risk assessment for ports, offshore installations and autonomous ships
  • model-based frameworks for maritime cyber risk assessment
  • maritime cyber security auditing and test-bedding 
  • maritime cyber security policy, including the scope and impact of evolving technology on international shipping
  • how autonomous and augmented realty technologies impacts cyber-physical risks.
Cyber-SHIP Lab
cyber-ship lab
cyber-ship lab

Creating ships systems' physical twins in the Lab

Cyber-SHIP Lab brings together a configurable host of connected maritime systems found on ships’ bridges – equipment commonly deployed across international fleets, configured and re-configured in vessel or vessel-type-specific layouts. It can effectively become a physical twin of any ship’s bridge and associated OT.
Cyber-SHIP Lab provides insights that cannot be gained in the virtual world through simulation alone.
The Lab’s unique hardware-based testbed complements the University’s fleet of nine ship simulators and our cyber ranges. Research outputs – including real-world attacks on non-virtual machines – are used to make researchers’ and crews’ simulator experiences much more realistic and useful for training as well as securing devices.
Uniquely, this means we can use the Cyber-SHIP platform to determine physical systems' key vulnerabilities under a range of cyber attacks. It enables development and demonstration of safeguards at technical, system and operational levels. This is a world-first capability that empowers our researchers and industry partners to improve global shipping security. 

Work with us

Industry and wider maritime sector related collaboration is a key feature of the project. Cyber-SHIP Lab is currently working with numerous maritime and maritime-related sector partners, including ship operators and companies involved in the supply of hardware and software, construction of ship’s bridges and training and management of personnel. We are also working with classification societies and government cyber security agencies.
Such industry engagement is vital. It is only by working with those in the sector that we can develop solutions applicable in the real world.
We are seeking additional partners to collaborate with us in building maritime cyber threat resilience. Whether your interest is in shaping collaborative research, meeting future training needs, or ensuring systems’ resilience, please contact Cyber-SHIP Lab Dr Kimberly Tam at kimberly.tam@plymouth.ac.uk to discuss how your organisation can join us in this pioneering maritime security project.
Executive Dean for Science and Engineering and Principal Investigator for the Cyber-SHIP Lab Project.
“Cyber-attacks are a tier-one National and international threat. And although the maritime sector is advancing technologically, it is not well protected against cyber or cyber-physical attacks and accidents. Worth trillions, Maritime has an unmatched reach across international waters, which exposes people and goods to a diverse range of threats, putting the shipping industry at high risk. This is why Cyber-SHIP Lab is so important.”
Professor Kevin Jones, Plymouth Pioneer

Our people

UK Aviation, Maritime and Security Minister’s message of support for Cyber-SHIP Lab

In 2021, Robert Courts MP, Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security opened Cyber-SHIP Lab’ with a message of support and encouragement.
“This unique new research facility will further enhance the University’s world-leading maritime facilities, building on Plymouth’s strong maritime history to ensure the UK is at the forefront of the future maritime sector.”
 
He added: “I am so pleased that the Cyber-SHIP Lab will play a crucial part in tackling the cyber security challenges facing the shipping industry.”
 

Past visitors and projects

Some of the research assistants, research fellows, visiting researchers, work experience students and interns who have worked with Cyber-SHIP Lab.

  • Zuzanna, work experience student, 2024

    "Thank you Dr Kimberly Tam and your great team for a productive and insightful week at the Cyber-SHIP Lab." – Zuzanna, work experience student, 2024

  • Kemedi Moara-Nkwe, Research Fellow on the Cyber-MAR project 2019–2022, at wheel of sailing boat.

    "I very much enjoyed my time at the University of Plymouth and hopefully we can continue working together on research projects/bids, papers and the like as I am remaining in the maritime technology area." – Dr Kemedi Moara-Nkwe, Cyber-MAR RF 2019–2022

  • Gizem Kayişoğlu, research fellow on Cyber-SHIP Lab, on the deck of a boat at sea.

    "I am so happy and honoured to been involved in Cyber-SHIP Lab; it was the key point in my research and I am grateful for the help of the research staff." – Dr Gizem Kayişoğlu, visiting PhD student from Turkey 2022

  • Eliot New - micro internship image

    "Spending time with the Cyber-SHIP Lab team has been enormously beneficial and rewarding – I’ve come out of this feeling more open to doing more postgraduate study and am more interested in cybersecurity." – Eliot New, micro-intern 2023

  • Erlend Erstad

    "It was beneficial for me as an educated seafarer to work with the Cyber-SHIP Lab team, as they are a diverse and interesting group of people. I got to participate in both theoretical and practical research." – visiting PhD student from Norway 2022

  • Jordan, UoP masters student at Maritime Cyber Threats research group

    "Here I get to work with leading researchers on genuine issues. It gives me the confidence that I will graduate with the skills I need to make a real-world difference in maritime cybersecurity." – Jordan, UoP masters student 2022

  • Dan, work experience student at Maritime Cyber Threats research group

    "You spoke at the South West Cyber Security Cluster conference about Cyber-SHIP Lab, and I was fascinated by your work!" – Dan, work experience student 2023

  • Thobisa Simelane

    "Thank you Dr Kimberly Tam and your great team for a productive and insightful week at the Cyber-SHIP Lab." – Dr Thobisa Simelane, Postdoctoral Fellow from South Africa

  • Maritime Cyber Threats research group summer 2024

    Summer 2024, from left to right Zuzanna (work experience student in VR), Luke (in VR), Jasper, Dennis (micro-intern), Keiran (work experience student), Dr Rory Hopcraft.

  • 2023's Cyber-SHIP Lab work experience student, Daniel Bruton, from Camborne Science and International Academy (3rd from right), and Eliot New (middle), the Maritime Cyber Threat research group's frist summer micro-intern of the year.

    2023's Cyber-SHIP Lab work experience student, Daniel Bruton, from Camborne Science and International Academy (3rd from right), and Eliot New (middle), the Maritime Cyber Threat research group's frist summer micro-intern of the year. 

  • Marco A joined us for his Work Experience week.  Jordan Gurren joined us for his Masters project (under cybersecurity).  He now works for JT.

    Marco (right) joined the research group for his work experience week. Jordan (left) joined for his Masters project on cybersecurity.

  • visiting researchers 2022

    Gizem Kayişoğlu (left) visited us from İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi in 2022 as a visiting researcher. Erlend Erstad (middle) was a visiting researcher for three months at the end of 2022, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

  • Kemedi Moara-nkwe / Keiran 

    Kemedi Moara-nkwe (on the right) was a Research Fellow on the Cyber-MAR project from 2019–2022. He is now a Lecturer at Solent University Southampton. Kieran Milligan (5th from the right) was a Project Support officer for Cyber-MAR in 2022.

You don’t always grasp the real-world implications of cyberattacks from university lectures alone, so this internship was a valuable opportunity to see how theoretical knowledge applies in practice. It was a fantastic opportunity to visit a highly specialised lab with real physical hardware – not just simulations – and the nuances of the maritime sector made the experience both challenging and engaging.

Jensen Hill, micro-intern 2025

I was eager to explore the research carried out in this field. This opportunity provided hands-on experience with varied tools that developed my understanding of various types of cyber-attacks and offered invaluable knowledge.

Dennis-Stefan, micro-intern 2024
 

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Cyber-SHIP Lab vault
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Cyber-Ship Lab displays