Grey-Zone Operations at Sea: Maritime Cyber Infrastructure as an Arena for Strategic Signalling
Abstract:
Cyber operations targeting maritime infrastructure are commonly framed as technical disruptions designed to inflict physical or economic harm. This paper argues that many such incidents function instead as strategic signalling. The maritime domain’s mixed civilian-commercial structure and fragmented governance make it especially conducive to grey-zone and hybrid warfare, where strategic signalling plays a prominent role. Recognizing maritime cyber activity as strategic communication is essential for calibrated responses and escalation management. Examining cases of maritime cyber disruption from 2021 to 2025, this paper identifies patterns of amplified narratives, increasing use of AIS (Automatic Identification System) and GNSS (Global Navigational Satellite System) manipulation, and evidence of preparation for future contingencies.
AUTHORS
College of Graduate and Continuing Studies Norwich University
Northfield, Vermont, United States of America
Diane Zorri is the Academic Director of the Strategic Studies programs at Norwich University. Dr. Zorri specializes in strategic security, emerging technology, Middle East politics, American foreign and defense policy, and NATO and defense industry affairs. Before transitioning to academia, Dr. Zorri served as an officer in the United States Air Force. Dr. Zorri's educational background includes a degree from the United States Air Force Academy, a graduate degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, U.S., and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, US.
Gary Kessler Associates
Ormond Beach, Florida, United States of America
Gary C. Kessler, CISSP, is president of Gary Kessler Associates, a training, research, and consulting company specializing in maritime cybersecurity. Kessler holds a B.A. degree in Mathematics, an M.S. in Computer Science, and a Ph.D. in Computing Technology in Education, and has been in the information security field since the late 1970s. Co-author of the book Maritime Cybersecurity, 2nd ed., and author of dozens of papers on technology-related topics, he is a retired professor of cybersecurity with a research interest in the Automatic Identification System (AIS). An international lecturer, Kessler is a guest faculty member at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, on the advisory board of Cydome, instructor and mentor at the CyberBoat Challenge, a co-founder of the Maritime Hacking Village, and a fellow in the USCG Auxiliary Cybersecurity Directorate. Kessler is also a scuba instructor and holds a 50 GT Merchant Mariner Credential.
Published In
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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