Office of Maritime Security | MARAD

The Office of Maritime Security ( MAR-420 ) supports the U.S. nautical fare system, the U.S. Merchant Marine, and early elements of the U.S. maritime industry. We facilitate the growth and execution of effective maritime security policies, procedures, practices, statutes, and discipline to protect U.S. citizens and maritime interests from nautical security system threats such as plagiarism, terrorism, criminal natural process, and cyber-attack. We besides provide information for U.S.-flag vessels, serve as the Department of Transportation ’ second ( DOT ) principal coordinator for maritime domain awareness matters, function as the DOT lead within the inter-agency Maritime Operational Threat Response process, serve as a key facilitator between nautical industry and government agencies, and provide technical nautical security advice and aid on issues involving the ball-shaped maritime transportation system .
table of Contents .

Maritime Security Communications with Industry (MSCI)

MARAD ’ south Office of Maritime Security works closely with external and interagency partners to facilitate maritime security information sharing with nautical diligence stakeholders .
U.S. Maritime Alerts and U.S. Maritime Advisories have been established through a U.S. politics – U.S. maritime diligence partnership to efficiently communicate information on threats in the maritime knowledge domain to U.S. nautical industry stakeholders and U.S. mariners. The Maritime Security Communications with Industry ( MSCI ) system is comprised of representatives from the Departments of State, Defense, Transportation, Justice, Homeland Security, and the Intelligence Community, who collaboratively formulate these Alerts and Advisories. Additional information on this system is available on the MSCI Portal .
U.S. Maritime Alerts were developed to quickly provide only basic information ( time, placement and confirmation ) on a nautical threat consequence of interest to the U.S. nautical industry. A U.S. Maritime Alert self-cancels seven days after issue. A U.S. Maritime Advisory may, but wo n’t always, follow or precede the issue of a U.S. Maritime Alert and is intended to provide more detail information, points of contact, and “ whole-of-government ” recommendations in answer to a maritime terror. A U.S. Maritime Advisory will normally be in effect for six months .
U.S. Maritime Advisories have replaced the bequest State Department “ limited warn ” and Department of Transportation “ MARAD Advisory ” systems ( which no longer exist ), american samoa well as international maritime security related information previously published under the U.S. Coast Guard ‘s Marine Safety Information Bulletin system. The MSCI system nowadays serves as the single, coordinated U.S. government system for issuing maritime security system terror information to maritime industry stakeholders. MSCI Alerts and Advisories are transmitted to ships at sea and emailed to subscribed stakeholders by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Vessel Masters, Company Security Officers, transport operators and other U.S. maritime interests are the mean recipients of these messages. information on subscribing to these products is available on the MSCI Portal .

Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships

The International Maritime Organization ( IMO ), through the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS ), Part XI, Article 101, determined that plagiarism consists of the trace acts :
( a ) any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of ravage, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a individual transport or a private aircraft, and directed :
( one ) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft ;
( two ) against a ship, aircraft, persons or property in a space outside the legal power of any State ;
( b ) any act of voluntary participation in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with cognition of facts making it a commandeer ship or aircraft ;
( c ) any act of inciting or of intentionally facilitating an act described in subparagraph ( a ) or ( bacillus )
settlement A.1025 ( 26 ) ( Annex, paragraph 2.2 ) on IMO ’ s Code of Practice for the Investigation of the Crimes of Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships, determines that armed robbery against ships consists of any of the postdate acts :

• any illegal act of violence or detention or any act of depredation, or threat thereof, other than an act of piracy, committed for private ends and directed against a ship or against persons or property on board such a ship, within a State’s internal waters, archipelagic waters and territorial sea;
• any act of inciting or of intentionally facilitating an act described above

Since the trouble of piracy in the Horn of Africa ( HOA ) area began to escalate in the late summer of 2008, the Maritime Administration ( MARAD ) has been involved in working with early Federal agencies ( particularly the Department of Homeland Security ’ s U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of State ’ s Economic Bureau/Office of Transportation Policy ) to mitigate the risks and develop strategies to protect commercial transport. These efforts have included frequent interaction with the U.S. maritime diligence, labor organizations, and international ship associations. MARAD staff members continue to serve on the U.S. Delegation to the International Maritime Organization ’ s Maritime Safety Committee and the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia in support of these efforts .
A number of authoritative industry-developed counter-piracy resources, including “ Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Security in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea ( BMP5 ) ” and “ Global Counter Piracy Guidance for Companies, Masters and Seafarers ” ; ampere well as International Maritime Organization and early anticipate piracy resources ; are available at :
hypertext transfer protocol : //www.maritimeglobalsecurity.org/risksissues/piracy/

Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)

The Office of Maritime Security serves as the documentation staff for the Department of Transportation ’ second ( DOT ) Maritime Domain Awareness ( MDA ) Executive Agent ( EA ). MDA is the effective sympathy of anything associated with the nautical domain ( for example, navigable waterway, maritime-related activities, infrastructure, people, cargo, and vessels ) that could impact the security, condom, economy, or environment of the United States. As such, the Office of Maritime Security supports and promotes creative initiatives to enhance MDA to facilitate the safe and fasten run of department of commerce in accordance with the National Maritime Domain Awareness Plan of the National Strategy for Maritime Security .
From a fare perspective, the Office of Maritime Security actively seeks ways and means to ensure a bouncy, integrated U.S. nautical transportation system. We work collaboratively with industry arsenic well as local, State, tribal, territorial, and other federal agencies to develop and encourage best practices and innovative methods to protect our ports, vessels, and mariners so they can reliably and resiliently meet the economic needs of our nation. We besides strive to serve as a catalyst among maritime interests to develop an environment in which partners can embrace and achieve a common objective of obtaining and sharing appropriate data to enhance department of commerce in documentation of a impregnable and reliable maritime transportation organization .
position of Maritime Security MDA coordination activities include engagement in the National Maritime Intelligence Integration Office ( NMIO ) Interagency Advisory Group ( NIAG ), the Canada-U.S. ( CANUS ) MDA Roundtable, and several early interagency and external MDA bodies involved in enhancing understand and cooperation on MDA issues .
( Click here for extra MDA information and resources )
For more data on MDA, please e-mail MaradSecurity @ dot.gov or call ( 202 ) 366-9363 .

Maritime Administration Certification of Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) Training Providers

Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act ( CVSSA ) of 2010 ( public Law 111-207 ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ), the U.S. Coast Guard ( USCG ), and the Maritime Administration ( MARAD ) hand in glove established model train standards covering crime prevention, detection, evidence preservation, and report of criminal activities in the external nautical environment. The Act allows MARAD to certify security and safety train providers who provide training consistent with the model standards. Under this MARAD certificate program, organizations wishing to have their cruise vessel security and safety train programs certified by MARAD as consistent with the model standards may voluntarily submit their programs to MARAD for review. This voluntary authentication platform will assist organizations in ensuring the safety and security of cruise ship passengers traveling to and from american ports .
data on becoming a MARAD Certified CVSSA Training Provider is available here. You may besides contact MARAD ’ second CVSSA Program Manager at CVSSA-MARAD @ dot.gov for extra CVSSA Training Provider Certification Program information .

Port Security Grant Program

The Maritime Administration ( MARAD ) supports the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) in the allotment of federal grants to State, local, and private sector maritime industry partners as a means to enhance port security throughout the United States. This program involves a Federal and private shared-cost arrangement administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ). For extra information on the Port Security Grant Program, snap hera .

Maritime Cyber Security

Maritime Cyber Security represents another area of concentrate for the Maritime Administration ( MARAD ). The Office of Maritime Security works with the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) and others to share cyber security resources and best practices with the U.S. maritime industry and shares maritime diligence ’ s cyber security concerns with allow government agencies .
These documents provide best practices for cyber security, as a initiation chemical element of overall guard and security within and across the marine and offshore communities. The best practices are meant to provide insights for operation, alimony and support of cyber-enabled systems, to better guarantee safety and security in those systems .
See the links below for more information on maritime cyber security
For more information on Maritime Cyber Security matters, please call ( 202 ) 366-1883 .

Maritime Security Resources

Other Federal Maritime Security Resources

U.S. Department of State (DOS) – Transportation Affairs (EB/TRA)

Supports the U.S. global department of transportation diligence and the travelers and shippers who rely on it. Secure international mobility is vital to the prosperity of Americans and citizens of all nations. part of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, EB/TRA is comprised of two offices : the Office of Aviation Negotiations ( AN ) and the Office of Transportation Policy ( OTP ). EB/TRA supports a global transportation system system that is open, effective, secure and safe for the rapid and economical motion of people and goods. extra information on EB/TRA may be found at : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-economic-growth-energy-and-the-environment/bureau-of-economic-and-business-affairs/division-for-transportation-affairs/
All U.S. citizens are entitled to representation by the U.S. Department of State when occupy, traveling, or employed abroad. Please consult the U.S. Department of State Embassy web site for state specific information : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.usembassy.gov/
additionally, all U.S. citizens of the professional maritime community ( including military members and federal/state maritime academy cadets and midshipman ) are powerfully encouraged to register with the U.S. Department of State ’ s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program ( S.T.E.P. ) when traveling for abroad gang changes or port visits : hypertext transfer protocol : //step.state.gov/step/
last, prior to traveling afield, please check the Bureau of Consular Affairs web site at : hypertext transfer protocol : //travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html to review the latest in-force Travel Alerts and Warnings .
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – US Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance
(CG-CVC)

The Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance ( CG-CVC ) develops and maintains policy and standards for the prevention activities of the Coast Guard to achieve Marine Safety, Security, and Stewardship mission success. In that gaze, all leery activities and events must be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center in accordance with 33 C.F.R. § 101.305 at : Tel : 800-424-8802/ NRC Watch Email: NRC @ uscg.mil. CG-CVC can be found at : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Prevention-Policy-CG-5P/Inspections-Compliance-CG-5PC-/Commercial-Vessel-Compliance/
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) – National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)

NGA ’ s Maritime Safety Office collects, evaluates and compiles worldwide marine navigation products and databases. The office transmits U.S. Maritime Alerts and Advisories and coordinates the worldwide Navigational Warning Service ’ s NAVAREA IV and NAVAREA XII safety messages, an essential separate of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. The Maritime Safety Information ( MSI ) Portal can be found at : hypertext transfer protocol : //msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.portal

regional Threat Information and POCs
East Africa/Red Sea, Bab Al Mandab, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean
Official U.S. politics information on events in the region can be found at the Department of State ’ s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-political-affairs/bureau-of-near-eastern-affairs/ .
PIRACY : Piracy off the coast of Somalia has seen a revival and continues to be a menace to the global Marine Transportation System ( MTS ). The U.S. Maritime Advisory System provides guidance on East Africa/Red Sea/Gulf of Aden/Indian Ocean transits. vessel operators are advised to follow recommended Best Management Practices : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.maritimeglobalsecurity.org/media/1037/bmp5-low_res.pdf and register with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations ( UKMTO ) and Maritime Security Center Horn of Africa ( MSCHOA ) /European Union Naval Force ( EUNAVFOR ) when operating in this area.

All fishy activeness reports in this region should be immediately passed to Naval Forces Central Command ( NAVCENT ) Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) via its 24/7/365 Duty Watch Officer at +973-1785-8240 . If less pressing or containing significant details, data can be sent via electronic mail to : ncags_bw @ me.navy.mil after a call to the watch .
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations

Immediate or pressing communications with UKMTO can should be accomplished via phone at :  Office : +971 ( 0 ) 43094268, Mobile : +971 ( 0 ) 43094268, Fax : +971 ( 0 ) 43094254 ), or e-mail at : dubai-OiC @ ukmto.org. extra information may besides be found on the United Kingdom ’ s Maritime Trade Operations ( UKMTO ) web site at : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.ukmto.org/

EU/NAVFOR data can be found at : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.mschoa.org/on-shore/home. If you would like to contact the Maritime Security Centre ( Horn of Africa ) directly, please use one of the contact methods : Tel: +44 ( 0 ) 1923 958545 and +44 ( 0 ) 1923 958700 Fax: +44 ( 0 ) 1923 958520

The International Maritime Bureau at web site : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.icc-ccs.org/index.php/piracy-reporting-centre, provides up-to-date plagiarism reporting information. Tel : + 60 3 2078 5763 Fax : + 60 3 2078 5769 e-mail : imbkl @ icc-ccs.org / piracy @ icc-ccs.org
24 Hours Anti-piracy HELPLINE Tel: + 60 3 2031 0014

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) Shipping Center is besides an extra resource for relevant nautical data : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.shipping.nato.int/nsc.aspx. As of December 15, 2016, NATO has terminated Operation Ocean Shield, NATO ’ s counter-piracy operations in the indian Ocean while MSCHOA/EUNAVFOR continues Operation ATALANTA in corroborate of the region ’ s World Food Program. Tel : +44 ( 0 ) 1923-956574 Fax : +44 ( 0 ) 1923-956575

Chart Q6099 – Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea  [This is a clickable link to the chart]
CIVIL WAR/TERRORISM : Threats due to civil war and violent extremism persist in the arab Peninsula, specifically the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden areas bordering Yemen. The U.S. Maritime Advisories System provides guidance for transits of this area .
ANSAR BAYT AL-MAQDIS (ABM)  – besides known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ( ISIL ) -Sinai Province—is the most active and capable terrorist group operating in Egypt. ABM seeks the end of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic emirate and execution of shariah in the Sinai Peninsula. The group is based in the Sinai but in fall 2013 expanded its operational reach into Egypt ’ sulfur Nile Valley .
AL-QA’IDA CORE – Usama Bin Ladin formed al-Qa ‘ international development association in 1988 with Arabs who fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, and declared its goal as the institution of a pan-Islamic caliphate throughout the Muslim worldly concern. Toward this end, al-Qa ‘ international development association seeks to unite Muslims to fight the West, particularly the United States, as a means of overthrowing Muslim regimes al-Qa ‘ international development association deems “ apostate, ” expelling western determine from Muslim countries, and defeating Israel. Al-Qa ‘ international development association and its affiliates in South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East remain a resilient organization committed to conducting attacks in the United States and against american interests overseas .
AL-QA’IDA IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA (AQAP)  –
Al-Qa ‘ international development association in the arabian Peninsula is a Sunni extremist group based in Yemen that has orchestrated numerous high-profile terrorist attacks. AQAP emerged in January 2009 following the fusion of Yemeni and Saudi terrorist elements, signaling the group ’ s intent to serve as a hub for regional terrorism in the arabian Peninsula. AQAP was preceded by al-Qa ‘ international development association in Yemen ( AQY ), comprised of several al-Qa ‘ international development association veterans who escaped from a Sanaa prison. The group has targeted local, US, and western interests in the arabian Peninsula, vitamin a well as afield. AQAP has besides undertaken a numeral of attacks targeting the yemeni Government. Since the Houthi raise to exponent in early 2015, AQAP elements have prioritized combating Houthi expansion and regularly engage in attacks and skirmishes with the growing Houthi presence. AQAP besides has formed a stronghold in Mukalla, Hadramawt Governorate, where it has freed prisoners, overcharge banks, and taken over government facilities .
beginning : National Counter-Terrorism Center – hypertext transfer protocol : //www.dni.gov/index.php/nctc-home
Southeast Asia/Strait of Malacca, Java Sea, South China Sea, Sulu Sea, and Celebes Sea
Official U.S. government information on events in the region can be found at the Department of State ’ s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-political-affairs/bureau-of-east-asian-and-pacific-affairs/
PIRACY : Piracy and armed looting incidents continue to occur in the Strait of Malacca and Southeast Asia. The most holocene USG nautical security guidance for Southeast Asia can be found in the U.S. Maritime Advisory System .

Additional piracy and armed robbery information for Southeast Asia can be found on the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia ( ReCAAP ) Information Sharing Center ( ISC ) web site at : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.recaap.org/ The International Maritime Bureau at web site : hypertext transfer protocol : //icc-ccs.org/icc/imb, provides up-to-date plagiarism reporting information .
TERRORISM : Threats of fierce extremism persevere in the Southeast Asia, specifically the Sulu and Celebes Seas. Following recent kidnappings and murders by the terrorist arrangement Abu Sayyaf, the U.S. Maritime Advisory System provides extra steering and precautions during transits of this area .
ABU SAYYAF GROUP (ASG)  – The Abu Sayyaf Group ( ASG ) is the most violent of the Islamic separatist groups operating in the southern Philippines and claims to promote an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. The ASG operates chiefly in Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi Provinces in the Sulu Archipelago and has a bearing on Mindanao. Members besides occasionally travel to Manila. The ASG has used terror both for fiscal profit and to promote its jihadist agenda and presently engages in kidnappings for ransom, bombings, assassinations, and extortion, and has had ties to Jemaah Islamiyah ( JI ). In 2006, Janjalani ’ s cabal relocated to Sulu, where it joined forces with local ASG supporters who are providing shelter to fugitive JI members from Indonesia .
source : National Counter-Terrorism Center – hypertext transfer protocol : //www.dni.gov/index.php/nctc-home
West Africa/Gulf of Guinea, Atlantic and Mediterranean Coasts
Official U.S. government information on events in the region can be found at the Department of State ’ s Bureau of African Affairs : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.state.gov/p/af/index.htm
PIRACY : Piracy and armed looting against ships continues in the Gulf of Guinea. The most late guidance for West Africa can be found within the U.S. Maritime Advisory System. The joint Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade-Gulf of Guinea ( MDAT-GoG ), which replaced the Maritime Trade Information Sharing Center-Gulf of Guinea ( MITSC-GoG ), can be contacted via electronic mail at : watchkeepers @ mdat-gog.org, or in hand brake by phone at +33 ( 0 ) 2 98 22 88 88 . The International Maritime Bureau, at web site : hypertext transfer protocol : //icc-ccs.org/icc/imb, besides provides up-to-date plagiarism reporting information .
Chart Q6114 – West Africa including Gulf Of Guinea [This is a clickable link to chart info]
TERRORISM : Threats due to violent extremism persist in West Africa extending from the Atlantic Coast, through the home and reaching the Mediterranean Coast. Although there is no particular terrorism threat identified, the pursuit is provided for informational purposes :
AL-QA’IDA IN THE LANDS OF THE ISLAMIC MAGHREB (AQIM) – Al-Qa ‘ international development association in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb is an Algeria-based Sunni Muslim extremist group. It in the first place formed in 1998 as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat ( GSPC ), a faction of the Armed Islamic Group, which was the largest and most active voice terrorist group in Algeria. The GSPC was renamed in January 2007 after the group officially joined al-Qa ‘ international development association in September 2006. AQIM employs conventional terrorist tactics, including guerrilla-style ambushes, and mortar, rocket, and IED attacks. The group ’ s star sources of tax income include extortion, kidnapping for ransom, and donations. In 2012, AQIM took advantage of political chaos in northerly Mali, working with local Tuareg national elements to take control of major cities, including Kidal, Gao, and Timbuktu. The Islamic belligerent group Ansar al-Din was formed to support the creation of an Islamic state in Mali ruled by shariah. In 2014 and 2015 extra AQIM members split from the organization to join groups affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. As of 2015, however, AQIM was regrouping in parts of northern Mali and conducted a act of attacks on UN forces in the region .
generator : National Counter-Terrorism Center – hypertext transfer protocol : //www.dni.gov/index.php/nctc-home
extra ball-shaped Piracy/Terrorism/Country resources and associate information may be found at the following locations :

The Office of Naval Intelligence ’ mho ( ONI ) “ Worldwide Threat to Shipping ” and “ Piracy Analysis and Warnings ” may be found on the ONI web site at : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.oni.navy.mil/News/Shipping-Threat-Reports/

position of the Director of National Intelligence National Counter-Terrorism Center : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.dni.gov/index.php/nctc-home

CIA ’ s World Factbook web site : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
Combating Terrorism Center at West sharpen : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.ctc.usma.edu/
For more data on MSCI matters, please e-mail MaradSecurity @ dot.gov.

Cameron T. Naron
Director, Office of Maritime Security
( 202 ) 366-1883
MaradSecurity @ dot.gov
Kimberly Brown
Office of Maritime Security
( 202 ) 366-9363
MaradSecurity @ dot.gov
Christopher Owsianiecki
Office of Maritime Security
( 202 ) 366-0223
MaradSecurity @ dot.gov

source : https://mindovermetal.org/en
Category : Maritime