VARD delivers two of the world’s first vessels with cyber notation following new regulations

VARD, one of the major global designers and shipbuilders of specialised vessels, and a subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group, is proud to announce that it has delivered two of the world's first vessels with cyber notation according to the new mandatory regulations from July 1st, 2024. 

Both the CSOV Grampian Kestrel to North Star and the CSOV Purus Chinook for Purus are delivered in accordance with the new mandatory cybersecurity requirements and class notation. 

Cybersecurity notations provide demonstrated cybersecurity readiness where cyber resilience is integrated into every stage of VARD’s shipbuilding process, from concept to delivery. Enhancing the vessels’ capability to withstand cyberattacks, to operate while under attack and the ability to recover from an attack. 

“At North Star, digital resilience is as critical as operational reliability. The Grampian Kestrel reflects our commitment to pioneering secure, future-ready vessels that protect both our people and our operations,” says James Bradford, Chief Technology Officer, North Star. “Working closely with VARD and Lloyd’s Register, we’ve ensured that cyber security is not an afterthought but a core element of the ship’s DNA; designed, integrated, and tested from the outset. This milestone underscores our dedication to safety, innovation, and setting new standards for the offshore industry.” 

Both cybersecurity notations are aligned with the unified requirements UR E26 and E27 issued by the International Association of Class Societies (IACS), which became mandatory for newbuilds contracted after 1. July 2024.  

These two vessels were contracted in 2023, before the cybersecurity notations became mandatory. This shows the dedication and strength in the work done by Fincantieri subsidiary VARD, Purus and North Star.

“The delivery of the two vessels represents an historical milestone for the maritime industry and for VARD and our owner Fincantieri, enhancing the group’s leading position for the technological transition in maritime operations,” says CEO in VARD, Cathrine Kristiseter Marti.

“The maritime industry is undergoing a significant transformation based on the increased use of digitally connected systems. These notations are essential for establishing baseline requirements and best practices to protect maritime operations from evolving and dynamic cyber threats. The delivery of these vessels shows VARD’s and Fincantieri’s commitment and willingness to set new standards and explore new ways of building cyber resilient platforms which allow our customers to manage cyber threats to the vessels,” Marti continues.  

“Cyber resilience underpins much of our vessel focus today. We took a position early to discuss this topic with customers, ahead of the regulations coming into effect,” says SVP Business Development & Group Innovation in VARD, Amrit Bhullar. “During these two deliveries, we have developed a competency across the VARD value chain and worked together with the supply chain to create a ship-wide mindset on cyber resilience. Collectively, this gives North Star and Purus a platform that can improve their ability to manage cyber risk,.”

A significant share of the systems onboard these vessels are delivered from Vard Electro’s SeaQ portfolio. To ensure cyber resilience in line with the latest regulatory standards it has required close collaboration with both customers and classification societies. Vard Electro has taken full responsibility for the cyber integration testing across all onboard systems, demonstrating their role as a trusted product supplier, but also as a forward-leaning system integrator with the expertise required to meet the evolving cyber security requirements. 

“Cyber notations are key to setting baseline requirements and best practices for protecting maritime operations against evolving threats,” says SVP Ship Technology in Vard Electro, Thomas Pedersen. “As shipboard systems become increasingly digital and complex, this places high demands on system integrators like Vard Electro. With our SeaQ technology we ensure our customers are equipped with cyber-resilient solutions from the ground up.”

A key aspect of this integration is ensuring that systems are connected in a secure and controlled manner. As vessels become interconnected, linking systems create vulnerabilities. Each connection must be carefully designed to prevent unauthorised access, minimize attack surfaces, and maintain the integrity of critical operations.

Henning Karleif Øye is VP Cyber Resilience in VARD and says the accomplishment is guided by VARD’s corporate security principle which is to have secure products from a secure house in a secure supply chain network: “We are constantly aiming at fostering a robust security culture through our entire value chain. Our focus is not only cyber defence, but to grow and deliver the strategic and proactive mindset of cyber resilience. We need to manage current cyber risks and be able to effectively adapt to mitigate yet unknown security threats.

“This strategy, matched with cybersecurity industry standards and best practice technical aspects, strengthens our corporate security posture, and extends it to the ships we build and the products and services we deliver for our customers such as North Star and Purus.

Duncan Duffty, Global Head of Digitalisation, Technical Directorate, Lloyd’s Register says: “Cyber security maturity will become essential to shipping as the maritime value chain continues its digitalisation journey. VARD and North Star recognised the need for cyber resilience long before IACS UR E26 and UR E27 were formalised and had already set clear ambitions to protect ships from evolving threats.” 

“The successful implementation of LR’s Cyber Resilience Rules for the first time reflects the high-level collaboration between North Star, Vard and Lloyd’s Register.”

Purus Chinook for Purus is the world’s first Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) to receive a COMF C2 V1 class notation for climate, noise and vibration. 

Grampian Kestrel for North Star has received Lloyd’s Register highest notation for noise and vibration, CAC1.

This sets a new global benchmark for offshore working conditions.

The strictest comfort class notations reflect VARD’s, North Star’s and Purus’ dedication to health, safety, and well-being at sea. It ensures optimal onboard temperature regulation, reduced noise and vibration throughout the vessels, directly supporting crew welfare and long-term performance.