CyberDockside.ai & HexaShield launch port cyber service

CyberDockside.ai has partnered with HexaShield to provide continuous cyber monitoring for ports, terminal operators, and vessel operators across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.

The agreement combines CyberDockside.ai's maritime cyber advisory and testing work with HexaShield's managed security operations for operational technology environments. The joint service is intended to help maritime operators demonstrate to regulators, insurers, and other third parties how their systems are being monitored and protected.

Shipping and port infrastructure operators face growing scrutiny over the security of operational technology, which controls cargo handling, yard and quay equipment, gate systems, shore power, and onboard vessel systems. These assets often run in environments where downtime is difficult or unacceptable, making conventional scans and investigations harder to carry out.

Under the arrangement, CyberDockside.ai will manage client relationships, consulting, assessments, and testing, and provide its maritime platform. HexaShield will deliver a managed security service through its Security Operations Centre, with monitoring based on its HexaOT platform.

The onboarding process includes scoping discussions, a passive assessment, and a time-boxed proof of value on a client's own estate before any broader commitment. Regulatory alignment, framework scope, and licensing requirements will also be reviewed for each jurisdiction during onboarding.

Sector pressure

The partnership reflects wider pressure on maritime operators to provide evidence of cyber controls rather than broad assurances. Ports and shipping groups increasingly face regulatory frameworks and insurer demands that require clear visibility into operational technology systems.

That need is particularly acute in a sector where assets can be dispersed and connectivity inconsistent. A vessel may lose communications at sea, while a terminal may need to remain operational around the clock, limiting opportunities for intervention.

According to the companies, the service is designed to monitor systems on both the shore and vessel side. These include bridge, engine, and cargo control systems onboard ships, as well as cargo movement, access control, and power systems in ports and terminals.

CyberDockside.ai said clients had been asking for a way to connect point-in-time testing with ongoing monitoring.

"Our customers have asked us for years how to extend testing results from the vessel and the terminal into a platform they can monitor continuously and evidence to a regulator. HexaShield provides that depth without asking anyone to replace what they already run. It is the partnership our customers were describing to us before we could deliver it," said Remie Kalloe, Chief Executive Officer, CyberDockside.ai.

Managed service

HexaShield said the monitoring element would be delivered as a 24x7 analyst-led managed service. Alongside HexaOT, it will offer services through platforms covering detection and response, coverage measurement, compliance and third-party risk management, intelligence, and data handling.

The client-facing console, called HexaView, is intended to give operational teams visibility into incidents and provide summaries for senior management. The structure is designed to give customers a single service model across several parts of the cyber risk process.

In maritime settings, cyber service providers must account for the operational realities of both ports and vessels. Systems often support safety-critical activity and cannot be interrupted for extensive inspection or remediation work.

"A port cannot pause to investigate an alarm and a vessel mid-ocean cannot wait for office hours. What maritime operators need is not another tool to watch, but visibility they did not have and somebody accountable when it matters at three in the morning. CyberDockside.ai understands this industry and the people running it. We bring the platforms and the operation. Between us the clients gets one answer instead of a project to manage," said Marc Philips, Managing Director, HexaShield.

Compliance focus

The joint programme will cover compliance, operational technology security, and managed detection and response. Compliance and third-party risk functions will be mapped to rules and frameworks including NIS2, IMO, and IACS.

For port authorities and shipping operators, that alignment may matter as cyber oversight becomes more formalised across transport infrastructure and supply chains. The partnership also shows how specialist maritime cyber firms are linking advisory work with round-the-clock monitoring as customers seek services spanning assessment, oversight, and incident response.

HexaShield operates across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, while CyberDockside.ai focuses on maritime fleets, ports, and shoreside operations. Together, the companies said, the service will monitor operational technology from bridge to berth through a single offering.