Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>This manuscript explores the evolution of major cyber and physical security attacks in the global maritime domain, in a longitudinal study from 2000 to 2026. By focusing on access management failures, this study determines the security measures and policies required for maritime and offshore critical infrastructure environments. In recent years, the maritime industry has been revolutionized by digitalization, automation, and interconnected cyber-physical systems, seeking to optimize efficiency and prevent security breaches. In parallel, bad actors are using the same cutting-edge technology to exploit vulnerabilities and penetrate systems in both cyber and physical security domains. Using AI-assisted data scraping and data science tools built in Python and R, this work generates an original longitudinal dataset of major maritime and offshore security attacks to identify a) the evolution of maritime cyber and physical security from 2000 to 2026, b) emerging threat trends, and c) best practices and policy enhancement needs, for prevention and mitigation.</jats:p> <jats:p>The findings reveal a dramatic shift from opportunistic strikes toward strategically orchestrated, state-aligned, and cyber-enabled security-disruption attempts targeting critical maritime infrastructure. Effective security solutions involve integrated cyber–physical access management, continuous monitoring, and comprehensive insider threat mitigation (by "insider", we mean including any supply chain collaborator.) The findings show that risk reduction or mitigation and operational effectiveness can be maintained by implementing integrated cyber-physical security strategies that incorporate layered access controls and unified governance frameworks. This research provides actionable information for industry and regulators by linking empirical security analysis with regulatory considerations, addressing gaps in global diplomacy and gray zone warfare, access governance, and the development of resilient access management systems ready for high-risk maritime and offshore environments.</jats:p>