The move was agreed at a recent IACS Council meeting in what is being viewed as a major expansion of the organisation’s role, which traditionally is associated with ship hull and machinery certification.

IACS announced it has established a cyber security panel that will also work alongside shipowners’ representative association Bimco on its recently established Cyber Panel.

The idea to tackle cyber security was first tabled by former IACS president Philippe Donche-Gay, who is also head of French classification society Bureau Veritas’ marine division.