Cyber Resilience and Leadership: Lessons from a Shipping Captain on Cybersecurity in Port Infrastructure
- The Cybersecurity Podcast
In the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity, leaders from diverse backgrounds are uniquely positioned to confront complex threats facing industries and critical infrastructure. These are the individuals shaping the future of the cybersecurity industry.
In this episode of EC Council’s Cybersecurity Podcast, we speak to Gaurav Sharma, former shipping captain and current CIO of MMC Ports, one of Malaysia’s largest port operating groups.
Gaurav is candid in his insights on operational resilience, digital transformation, and the cyber threat landscape in port operations. He uncovers the unique cyber risks affecting critical national infrastructure, especially ports, and offers actionable insights to technology leaders, cybersecurity professionals, and business executives.
Similarities in maritime and technology frontlines
Former shipping captain Gaurav Sharma’s professional journey spans over three decades, from 11 years as captain of a commercial ship to transitioning into the world of technology and operations in the maritime industry. Driven by a desire to bring value beyond the horizon, Gaurav seized an opportunity to move into strategic IT cybersecurity, while remaining closely linked with shipping and maritime operations.
Now, after 21 years in technology leadership, he is fully convinced that hands-on experience in both the operational and digital sides is critical to success. This distinctive perspective enables professionals in strategic IT and cybersecurity roles to truly understand the business and technical sides of operations, resulting in effective and holistic cyber strategies.
His journey from being a captain to CIO of one of the most eminent ports in Malaysia provides him an unusual perspective on operational risk, crisis management, and team leadership.
Seasoned experience in navigating storms at sea now underpins his calm, decisive leadership in digital crises, more strongly equipping him to lead technology teams under pressure.
Bridging operational and digital worlds and translating maritime leadership to cyber resilience
Reflecting on his time as a high-seas sailor, Gaurav recounts some of the most alarming moments he faced as a captain navigating global trade routes. During a 20-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, he recalls the intense isolation one can feel drifting in the middle of the ocean, where help is nowhere near. In these moments of unpredictability, the crew is entirely self-reliant, trusting in their skills and abilities, their vessel, and at times even a higher power to see them through. Such experiences instilled in him a profound sense of preparedness and trust—qualities that continue to shape his leadership in the digital domain.
Gaurav’s experience as a commercial shipping captain has largely influenced his approach as CIO, where he has a similar role of uniting a diverse crew to navigate real-life storms. He must synchronize technology, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and data teams to steer through digital challenges or cyber threats. The leadership, risk management, and team coordination skills honed during his tenure as a shipping captain now translate into decisive, adaptable management in the digital realm. This enables him to shape business-level strategies that drive operational resilience and meaningful transformation.
The importance of the Chief Information Security Officer certification
Gaurav stands out among the new wave of CIOs and C-suite leaders as one of the few to also serve as a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). As a C-level executive, he has always sought to go beyond high-level oversight and truly understand the details of his field. Cybersecurity was always a passion, and earning the CISO certification was a natural next step, offering him a structured, strategic, and a comprehensive approach to managing security at scale.
As per Gaurav, earning a certificate is not just about passing the examination. It is about being able to make the right decisions for the organization by developing a deep understanding of cybersecurity. Pursuing the CISO challenge fed into his natural curiosity as a lifelong learner and reflected his commitment to his own development as well as the company’s well-being. Such certifications expand a leader’s horizons, helping them keep pace with the rapidly evolving cyber threats and industry best practices.
Executive certifications like the CISO are known for their ability to deepen technical knowledge as well as build global credibility. They serve the organization’s needs in a structured way and contribute to its overall security posture.
Recognizing the importance of cybersecurity in the workplace
Cybersecurity is still often perceived as just another branch of IT. The shift begins only when an organization truly understands why certification matters. Over the past few years, there has been growing understanding that cybersecurity isn’t just the sole responsibility of the IT department. Rather, it requires a proactive, organization-wide approach.
This awareness is steadily taking root in organizations, and board members are grasping how vital cybersecurity is to the overall health of the organization.
Building resilience against ransomware in port infrastructure
The cyber threat landscape is constantly evolving, and ransomware remains one of the most pressing concerns for organizations today. In the marine industry, the stakes are particularly high. A cyberattack, especially ransomware, on port infrastructure could potentially bring operations to a halt.
Ransomware, phishing, and spear phishing are some of the most common types of cyberattacks. However, it is important to recognize that cyber threats can originate from different sources, each with different motivations. Hackers can be individuals or state and non-state actors. The challenge with ports is not just in protecting IT systems but also securing operational technology (OT) environments. This requires a proactive risk mitigation strategy and a user-centric approach, fostering awareness and resilience throughout the organization. As cybersecurity is continuous it is critical that vigilance is robust and round-the-clock and not just at a single point in time.
Blurring of lines between IT and OT in cybersecurity
The line between IT and OT is increasingly blurring, especially in sectors like ports, utilities, and other critical infrastructure. As ports become more digitized, they can easily connect systems that were previously isolated, such as those managing operations for water, electricity, and communications.
These previously air-gapped OT systems are now more vulnerable to cyberattacks that were traditionally associated with IT. This growing interconnectedness means that threats once confined to IT systems are now penetrating OT environments too. In response to this growing interconnection, organizations must first thoroughly assess their exposure and understand how integrated their OT systems have become, before focusing on deploying new technologies.
Integration of IoT endpoints into OT systems
The integration of IoT endpoints into OT systems is becoming increasingly prevalent. As part of their digital transformation strategy, organizations are pairing IoT with AI to gain valuable insights and make better predictions.
In critical national infrastructure environments, this convergence of IT, OT, and IoT is creating a unified and highly interconnected ecosystem. Leaders must now recognize the new vulnerabilities they are introducing into the system. Maintaining a robust cybersecurity posture becomes critical.
Port security is national security
Port operations are at the heart of the global supply chain. A brief downtime in port operations can result in massive financial, contractual, and societal disruptions, such as the disruption in shipping lines, freight forwarders, and city infrastructure.
A secured port infrastructure indicates uninterrupted flow of goods and commodities, prevention from city-wide gridlocks, and upholding service level agreements with shipping lines. A cyberattack at a port not only affects the cargo but also impacts the smooth functioning of cities and economies.
Incident response: Preparation, playbooks, and practice
Preparation is critical. Preparation during peacetime ensures teams can act decisively and effectively when a real cyber hurricane hits. Crisis playbooks, regular drills, well-retained procedures, and clearly defined roles for every member of the organization, including senior leaders, lay the groundwork for effective responses to a cyberattack.
Training and readiness built during blue sky periods (before a crisis strikes) are what determine success when the unexpected happens. Reliable, tested backups are also crucial and non-negotiable.
Bridging and managing the budget gap judiciously during a cyber incident
One of the major challenges that tech leaders face is communicating or explaining the value of cybersecurity investments to non-tech personnel. The issue becomes more evident during discussions on budget management for a cyber incident.
Leaders should instead try to explain their technical needs in business terms, focusing on risk mitigation, industry trends, and possible outcomes. Effective budget management demands a strategic approach. By illustrating how new technologies can proactively reduce risk and prevent costly incidents, tech leaders can foster a shift in the mindset of the management.
The role of certification and continuous learning
Investing in certification courses, like Certified Ethical Hacker or Certified CISO, helps teams stay current with the latest expertise and trends and fosters a culture of continuous learning and professional development.
Organizations should provide learning opportunities to employees. Retaining top talent goes beyond competitive salaries. Organizations must foster an environment that values and encourages continuous learning, provides scope for upskilling, and embeds training into their culture.
Technical certifications empower IT and cybersecurity specialists, while cyber awareness trainings widen the knowledge base of non-IT employees and reduce human risk across the board.
The need for hands-on cybersecurity training
Hands-on training is critical. In fact, it has become indispensable in cybersecurity education. Cybersecurity programs that blend theory with practice, like cyber drills and competitions, provide professionals with real-world experience
The inclusion of AI-driven modules and practical exams, as seen in the latest Certified Ethical Hacker certification programs, ensures that learning remains relevant and aligned with industry standards. These hands-on cybersecurity trainings build confidence and agility along with technical proficiency to tackle emerging threats in day-to-day business.
Expert advice from the leader
Working hard, staying true to ourselves, and striving to add value to our organization will definitely pay out in the long run. Success comes from continuous learning, genuine effort, and a focus on excellence. There’s no secret sauce!
Gaurav rightly says that we must stay hungry for knowledge and adopt a learner’s mindset. Visit the podcast Cyber Resilience and Leadership: Lessons from the Frontlines and hear the captain himself spelling out the need for holistic and adaptive security strategies in a bid to combat the expanding cybersecurity attack surface.
For more insights from industry leaders, stay tuned to the EC Council Cybersecurity Podcast series.
