Important Notice: Prevention of Communication Cost Incidents Due to Virus Infections and Automatic Updates
Recently, there have been frequent incidents of “communication cost accidents due to virus infections or automatic updates.” We have summarized the information below for your reference and caution.
1. Overview of the Incident
When a shipboard PC becomes infected with a virus or installs software not intended for shipboard use, the PC may perform data communications unrelated to email during email transmissions. Crew members may perceive this as slower communication, but since email transmissions are successful, the problem is not easily recognized.
However, background data communications (such as virus communications, software automatic updates, and definition file updates) can result in significantly high communication cost bills later.
2. Causes of the Incident
The primary causes include virus infections on the ship, crew members inadvertently changing PC settings, or installing unmanaged software.
This has led to cases where monthly communication cost bills exceeded USD 10,000. Additionally, these bills typically arrive with a delay of 2-3 months, making the issue even harder to detect.
3. Preventive Measures
PC settings on ships are extremely delicate due to the unique environment. Please be very careful not to change settings unnecessarily.
Adding peripheral devices or software poses a high risk of causing such problems. Always consult with us before making any configuration changes.
4. Filtering Services by Ground Stations
Due to the frequent occurrence of these incidents, ground stations have agreed to cooperate in implementing countermeasures. Specifically, for vessels using Inmarsat F-MPDS communication, registering the vessel’s ID with the ground station can disable web communications from the ship. This setting will restrict internet access to email connections only.
Currently, KDDI and STRATOS offer this service. If you are interested, please contact us to receive the application form.
5. Conclusion
The shipping industry is facing increasingly stringent conditions, with heightened pressure to reduce costs. However, incidents like these can result in losses of thousands of dollars from a single occurrence.
We hope you will take all necessary precautions to avoid unnecessary costs from human error.