The Lloyd’s Register Group is launching SeeThreat, a powerful new web-based risk assessment tool which helps ship operators and their company security officers (CSO) to assess the security threat to their ships. The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code becomes mandatory on 1st July 2004. Pressure is building to demonstrate compliance and only some 3% of ships are currently certified. The Code requires CSOs to use their security assessments and “other information” as the basis for advising their ships about the threat levels they may encounter, such as terrorism, piracy, labour disputes and civil unrest, among others.

SeeThreat assists informed critical security decision making by presenting the results of daily, historic and global information news feeds relevant to the ship at its operating locations in an easily interpretable format. SeeThreat constantly monitors maritime security news information for locations and threats specified by the operator to meet its own needs and the relevant ISPS Code threat levels. Rising threats are presented graphically at chosen locations and levels and are displayed by amber/yellow and red warning icons.

SeeThreat has been developed in collaboration with QinetiQ and is accessed through the Lloyd’s Register Internet information service ClassDirect Live. SeeThreat uses search engine technology originally developed by QinetiQ to meet the security needs of the UK government.