From Investments to IT Security: Young Mariners’ Networking 2024 - SeaVoices - Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU) Publication

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13 Dec 2024

2 mins

From Investments to IT Security: Young Mariners’ Networking 2024

Young mariners explored the topics of financial literacy and maritime cybersecurity at the Young Mariners’ Networking (YMN) event on 29 November 2024. Jointly organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Young SMOU (YSMOU), the event was held at the mTower, with close to 50 young seafarers and students attending it.

The first sharing session conducted by Ms Peggy Chan from the Institute of Financial Literacy gave youth a glimpse of the various major financial products available in the market. Through the group discussion, as well as further explanation from Ms Peggy, the youth learned about the risks involved with the different financial products, which will guide them to making informed choices before investing.

Deck Cadet Anim Dutta was enlightened by the talk.

“The financial literacy session was very insightful. Before this, I was unaware of the various investment options, so it was helpful to have an industry professional to guide us on how we can invest smartly.”

In the second sharing, led by Assistant Professor (A/Prof) Raymond Chan from the Singapore Institute of Technology, participants learned the importance of maritime cybersecurity due to its potential impact on personnel, ships, the environment, companies, and cargo. Highlighting past cyber incidents in the industry, A/Prof Raymond discussed proactive measures to mitigate future threats as IT systems become increasingly integrated into maritime operations. Participants deepened their understanding of maritime cybersecurity through a Q&A session that followed the talk.

Chief Officer Christina Tan found the topic on cybersecurity relevant.

“Cybersecurity has become a popular topic recently, especially with the rise of new technologies, and is receiving increasing attention within companies.

It was helpful to learn about potential cyberattacks, raising our awareness and improving our ability to manage such incidents. This also highlights the need for shipowners to provide more cybersecurity training for seafarers, as there was little training on the subject in the past.”

The session ended with a networking dinner, where the youth had the opportunity to catch up with their peers as well as to expand their connection within the seafaring community. Through the young mariners’ networking, it was a great platform to foster a sense of camaraderie among the young seafarers and exchange insights and advice on their careers and aspirations.