Data security in a ship detection and Identification System

The use and access of space-based and terrestrial assets for maritime surveillance has developed rapidly in the recent decades. These developments have implications for civil, commercial and military stakeholders and are used by both advanced and developing countries. There are many sensors and systems applicable to the maritime domain such as Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), Automatic Identification System (AIS), airborne and space borne optical and radar imagery, ship and coastal radar, underwater acoustics and underwater electromagnetic. We are designing a ship detection and identification system (SDIS) that integrates the results of all of these methods to determine the position and identity of ships for the purpose of monitoring the marine traffic in particular area. The data required by SDIS is readily available from a variety of third-party data providers. By employing redundant data from different detection methods we aim to improve the ship detection and identification accuracy. We realize that data providers will transmit their data to clients in a secure manner in order to protect their data from unauthorized viewing or alteration. SDIS needs to function with the varying security methods of the different data providers. Although data security has the highest risks during transmission we have chosen to use a data-at-rest approach and encrypt the data streams within SDIS at all stages including transmission, storage and in-use. SDIS also has the challenge of ensuring users' adherence to the contractual data use restrictions as stipulated by the third-party data providers. This paper describes the data security aspects of the SDIS as determined in the initial design phases.