Students hack ships in Den Helder

On Tuesday 10 December, the computer science students (NHL Stenden) of the minor Hack@sea visited the Kasteelborg of shipping company Wagenborg with the theme ‘Cybersecurity’. The Offshore support vessel operates on the North Sea and was in the port of Den Helder for this visit. With the many digital systems on board the Kasteelborg, the vessel formed a perfect study project.

The visit began with a tour of the ship by Max van Nieuwpoort, officer, which included a detailed look at the various systems on board, from the bridge to the engine room. The students then ran through the cybersecurity regulations for areas for improvement and gave presentations on the various studies they are working on.

Finally, the students were given the opportunity to hack into the ship from their laptops. This was attempted by looking for openings in the online systems on board the ship.

There were also ships from shipping company Fugro at the quay, which had given permission to access the ships via Wi-Fi or other systems from the quay. The brisk northeast wind, turned the hacking in quite a challenge due to numb fingers, yet the students held out for a long time. In the end, the used devices, had to be handed back to the teachers.

After a long but instructive day, the students boarded the bus again in the direction of Leeuwarden and Emmen. Quite a journey, but well worth the effort. The group was hugely impressed by the size and design of the ship, which had been well thought out. Also, the use of the ship, from house to hoist, gave the students the necessary context in their studies.

Thanks to Wagenborg offshore for the effort and hospitality!