Stop Press: Security Update

New measures increase passenger safety on ships and in ports around the world

The most recent move to further protect ships from terrorist attacks came last month, when the International Maritime Organization (IMO) implemented its International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. Under the new regulations, major port facilities around the world are required to complete a risk assessment to identify any areas of vulnerability; additionally, all ships that use those ports must, among other things, have trained personnel monitor them for possible security breaches, formulate a response in the event of an attack, and conduct regular security drills. Closer to home, the Coast Guard is allocating $1.3 billion this year to improve safeguards such as the monitoring of sea traffic in and around U.S. waters; next year, it plans to bump security spending up to $1.5 billion. "Our goal is to be comprehensive and to increase our capabilities to take defensive action in port," says Coast Guard spokeswoman Jolie Schifflet.

Most experts say that the terrorist threat to passenger lines is low. "Cruise ships are difficult targets," says Armando Lara of the London security consulting firm Control Risks Group. "They are not easy to take control of and use as a weapon." Other experts, however, are more wary: "Baggage security [on cruises] is not as good as it could be, and staff are not screened as thoroughly as they could be," says Neil Livingstone, CEO of Global Options, a Washington, D.C.—based security consultancy. "If terrorists were to take a run at a ship, security would be insufficient." For its part, the cruise industry is confident that it has taken adequate measures to protect passengers. "Our number one safety record speaks for itself," says Michael Crye, president of the International Council of Cruise Lines, an industry advocacy group. "From a safety standpoint, cruising stacks up against any other option."