START4.0 participated in the fourth edition of the Shipping, Transport & Intermodal Forum, held on January 29 and 30 at the Excelsior Palace Hotel in Rapallo.
The event, organized by the television broadcaster Telenord in collaboration with The International Propeller Club – Port of Genoa, represented an important opportunity to discuss the profound changes that are redefining operations in the shipping, transport, and logistics sectors.
During the panel discussions, START4.0 contributed through the participation of its President, Paola Girdinio, who spoke alongside representatives of the organizations involved on the topics of secure and sustainable digital transformation. The debate focused on crucial aspects such as cybersecurity, interoperability, and enabling technologies, which are fundamental for strengthening the logistics and intermodal ecosystem.
In his speech, he highlighted how the current geopolitical context, characterized by a growing hybrid war, has significantly amplified the level of risk for critical infrastructure. While in the past cyber attacks were often aimed at direct and destructive strikes, today’s threats are increasingly focused on compromising operational continuity, temporarily taking strategic systems and infrastructure out of service.
Attention therefore focused on the possibility of targeting not only physical infrastructure, but also traffic management and operational process systems, with potentially significant consequences for the entire logistics chain. In this regard, reference was made to a recent case, also of a political nature, involving a major shipping company: a cyberattack, which was subsequently foiled, made possible by the identification of an internal accomplice. On that occasion, an employee was caught attempting to insert a USB stick into a critical system used to control the mobility of a fast ship.
The incident highlighted the importance of resilient process management, which enabled the company to intercept and neutralize the threat before it could take effect.
It was also emphasized that these dynamics make it increasingly important to adopt a “zero trust” approach, which requires not taking anything for granted and extending controls even within organizations, including traditionally established relationships of trust.