Commercial ship self defense against piracy and maritime terrorism

Piracy continues to be a very real problem for ship operators, ship owners, cargo owners, insurance companies, flag states, and host states. Fortunately, the nature and locations of modern day acts of piracy tend to be fairly predictable and are concentrated in certain regions of the world. Potential acts of maritime terrorism are highly unpredictable and pose a worldwide threat since terrorists may attack a country's interest abroad. Commercial ship operators can take concrete steps to help defend themselves against maritime terrorism and piracy. Many ship self defense countermeasures against piracy and maritime terrorism are simple and inexpensive to implement. Developing a thorough ship security plan is essential for commercial ship self defense.