The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) has been awarded US$1.6 million in the most recent round of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Port Security Grant Program, in order to strengthen cybersecurity and access control at the Port of Baltimore.
The funding will go towards solidifying cybersecurity and access control policies and initiatives at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore’s state-owned, public marine terminals.
“As the Port of Baltimore continues to grow and expand, our administration is committed to ensuring it remains one of the most secure ports in the nation,” said Governor Larry Hogan.
In late July, Governor Hogan convened a cybersecurity summit in Annapolis to highlight federal, state, and private-sector efforts to protect America’s critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.
Since 2005, the Port of Baltimore’s public terminals have received more than US$20 million in the Port Security Grant Program. Over that period, the US port has enhanced its security program by upgrading access control procedures, installing physical security fixtures such as high-mast lighting and fencing, and strengthening closed-circuit television, according to a statement.
MDOT MPA Executive Director, William P. Doyle, thanked FEMA for the grant, and stated that “We will continue to aggressively go after federal port security grants that will protect the thousands of men and women who work at the Port of Baltimore and protect the tens of millions of tons of cargo that we handle annually.”
