Maritime Cybersecurity at a Turning Point
Summer 2026
The maritime domain has long been understood as a pillar of global commerce and an arena of geopolitical competition. It is now also a contested cyber-physical environment. In this environment, the manipulation of digital systems carries consequences that may extend far beyond any single vessel, port, or network. This special issue of The Journal of Information Warfare assembles seven contributions that collectively advance the understanding of the maritime domain by discussing conflicts, governance challenges, emerging threats, and defensive capabilities.
This issue was developed in close connection with the Maritime Cybersecurity Applied Research, Technology and Education Center (MCARTEC) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. UNCW MCARTEC is a nationally visible research hub focused on one of the most important and least mature domains of critical infrastructure. Since its establishment, MCARTEC has built research capacity around the Maritime Transportation System (MTS) as a complex cyber-physical ecosystem. MCARTEC’s signature achievement is the MTS Cybersecurity Technology Roadmap. UNCW faculty coordinated 38 international experts across 26 organizations to define 44 priority R&D areas and 153 key research questions in maritime cybersecurity. The Technology Roadmap has established a structured national research agenda for the field.
AUTHORS
Cameron School of Business University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina, United States of America
Ulku Clark is a professor at the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She received her Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from the Naveen Jindal School of Management at UT Dallas in 2005. She serves as the PI of the Maritime Cybersecurity Applied Research, Technology & Education Center project.
Cameron School of Business University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina, United States of America
Bilge Karabacak is an assistant professor in the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He received his Ph.D. in Information Systems with a focus on cybersecurity from the Middle East Technical University in 2015. He serves as the Co-PI of the Maritime Cybersecurity Applied Research, Technology & Education Center project.
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Journal of Information Warfare
The definitive publication for the best and latest research and analysis on information warfare, information operations, and cyber crime. Available in traditional hard copy or online.
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