OceanShield

OceanShield, operating under the legal entity OCEANSHIELD PTE. LTD., was a Singapore-based firm specializing in cybersecurity for the maritime industry. The company was founded in 2018 by a team that included Jonathan Erik G Savoir, Dr. Dmitry Mikhaylov, Mikhail Zet, and Alexey Pronichkin. Dr. Mikhaylov, a key founder, brought a background as a scientist, serial entrepreneur, and private-equity specialist in the deep tech sector. His expertise in artificial intelligence, holding a PhD in the field, was foundational to the company's technological approach.

The firm targeted a specific niche within maritime security: the protection of Operational Technology (OT) systems. While the information technology (IT) side of the maritime industry had numerous cybersecurity solutions, OceanShield identified that the critical OT systems—which control a vessel's physical hardware like navigation and engine controls—were largely unprotected due to the specialized knowledge required. The company's business model centered on providing patented cybersecurity solutions to safeguard the OT systems of vessels, ports, and other maritime and offshore infrastructure against cyber threats. False data in these systems, for instance, could lead to catastrophic events such as collisions.

OceanShield's core product was an AI-powered hardware and software system designed to monitor network traffic within a vessel's OT systems in real-time. This system featured module control and monitoring, automated threat analysis, device control, and incident investigation capabilities. By using artificial intelligence, the platform could detect anomalies and potential intrusions, providing continuous protection. In February 2021, the company announced it had secured US$800,000 in a seed funding round from investors including Masik Enterprises and several angel investors, which was intended to commercialize its solution. Despite these developments, the company is reported to be inactive or 'deadpooled'.

Keywords: maritime cybersecurity, operational technology security, OT security, vessel cybersecurity, port security, offshore infrastructure security, maritime threat detection, AI in maritime, ship network security, Dmitry Mikhaylov, Jonathan Erik G Savoir, Singapore tech, maritime technology, vessel automation security, real-time threat analysis, cybersecurity for ships, marine cyber protection, industrial control systems security, maritime infrastructure protection, Masik Enterprises