Samsung Heavy obtains blockchain security certificate

South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries Co. announced the successful development of a cyber-security solution for autonomous ships using blockchain technology.

The company said on Friday it obtained a Statement of Fact (SoF)  certification from DNV, a Norwegian vessel classification agency, after succeeding in verifying the technology of transmitting data generated from its remote autonomous navigation system SAS and electronic navigation log to the outside using the blockchain platform Vechain Thor.

The platform is a security solution that protects vessel data, networks that deliver the data, and data storage centers from external cyber-attacks.

It prevents third parties from manipulating information through such measures as forgery or tampering when Samsung ships exchange information within ships or between ships and various inland centers.

This is the first time that blockchain technology has been used in the shipbuilding industry.

In 2018, Samsung received the world’s first cybersecurity technology certificate for a smart ship solution from the American classification society ABS.

Recently, it is paying attention to the possibility of applying distributed ledger technology to cyber security solutions for self-driving vessels.

"Cybersecurity is essential in the field of remote autonomous ships, where inter-connections between ships, land, and systems are required," said Kim Hyun-jo, head of Samsung's Autonomous Operation Research Center.

"In order to expand the application of blockchain technology, we will strengthen cooperation with shipping companies, classification agencies, and blockchain platform companies," Kim added.

Write to Ik-Hwan Kim at lovepen@hankyung.com