The British Ports Association (BPA) has launched a new Security Alert System for the rapid exchange of information between the industry to help prevent and detect criminal activity.
The new system will involve the BPA disclosing details of activity submitted by ports to others in the same region. This will improve security posture and increase awareness of suspicious individuals or behavior patterns.
The Industry Security and Resilience Working Group proposed the idea in early 2023 and it’s live now.
Anyone in the UK can sign up for port alerts, although the BPA regularly checks recipients to ensure they have a legitimate need for such data. BPA verifies the data before it is distributed to ensure that it is appropriate and distributed to the relevant port security professionals.
The system complements the existing reporting mechanism whereby ports report incidents to the government. The BPA works in collaboration with the Department of Transportation’s Security Division and other government security teams.
Security Alert Example: Suspicious Vehicle
It was identified that a vehicle using multiple sets of vehicle registration numbers could be linked to a series of product, plant and machinery thefts at a major port. In a test, the port distributed photographs of the vehicle and some distinctive markings to other port security professionals in the area. Other ports have been asked to share any sightings of the vehicle and note that it may be operating nearby.
