Institute of Commercial Management | Qualification Subject

Maritime Security & Safety Management

ICM Professional Diploma Unit

This qualification is being withdrawn, the last available series to sit the assessment for this qualification is December 2024.

Commercial Seaports and Modes of Maritime

  • Transport
  • Commercial seaports
  • Container terminals
  • Bulk cargo terminals
  • Cruise ship terminals
  • Non-traditional ports
  • Stakeholders
  • Terminal owners
  • Terminal operators
  • Stevedore company
  • Longshoremen
  • Intermodalism
  • Modes of maritime transport
  • Tankers
  • LNG tankers
  • Chemical tankers
  • Container ships
  • Freighters
  • Bulkers
  • Ocean-going tugboats
  • Cruise and passenger ships

Documentation, Financial Transactions and Business Entities in Commercial Maritime Transportation

  • Purchase of goods
  • Documents used to export and import cargo:
  • BilI of lading
  • Shipper’s export declaration
  • Certificate of origin
  • Commercial invoice
  • Insurance certificate
  • Export license
  • Consular invoice
  • Inspection certificate
  • Documents specific to import cargo only:
  • Arrival notice
  • Pro forma invoice
  • Customs entries forms
  • Freight release
  • Delivery order
  • Duty drawback
  • Bank draft
  • Letter of credit
  • Business entities in commercial maritime transportation

International Maritime Security Regulation and Programmes

  • Objectives
  • Introduction
  • The ISPS Code
  • Amendments to SOLAS
  • WCO’s framework of standards to secure and facilitate global trade

Vulnerabilities in the Cargo Supply Chain

  • Vulnerabilities and their potential impact
  • Recommended security practices at the production/loading phase
  • Recommended security practices at the export phase
  • Carriers and seaports
  • Recommended security practices at the importation/distribution phase
  • Ports of entry and importers
  • Special vulnerabilities in the maritime environment
  • Cargo theft
  • Internal conspiracies and techniques used to circumvent security
  • Container seals
  • “Red Flags” of possible criminal/terrorist surveillance

Plagues of the Seas: Piracy and Stowaways

  • Definition and historical beginnings
  • Highlights of recent cases of piracy
  • Trends in piracy
  • The linkage between piracy, organised crime, and terrorism
  • Stowaways
  • The motivation of the stowaway
  • Techniques and tactics used by stowaways

Drug Smuggling via Maritime Cargo, Containers and Vessels

  • Illegal drug origins and production
  • Maritime smuggling routes and trends
  • Drug smuggling methods and techniques

Terrorism and Commercial Maritime Transportation

  • Review of the history of terrorism
  • Current trends in terrorism
  • Types of weapons utilised
  • Explosives
  • Small arms and infantry weapons
  • Weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
  • Terrorist targeting of ships and ports
  • Use of ships, cargo, and containers to transport
  • Terrorists and materials

Strategic Blueprint for World-Class Seaport

  • External security ring
  • Intelligence operations
  • Government and law enforcement liaison
  • Perimeter security ring
  • Inner security ring
  • Site and asset-specific security rings
  • Vessel security ring
  • Key vessel security procedures
  • Pre-departure search for contraband and unauthorised persons
  • Security personnel employment and training
  • Pre-employment screening
  • Basic security training
  • Security officer equipment
  • Port security director
  • Port facility security plan

Port Security Management

  • The port security director
  • The systems approach, ISO Certifications, strategic planning, and metric management
  • A multi-organisational approach toward port security
  • The importance of comprehensive job descriptions
  • Planning and conducting security-related training
  • Intelligence and its role in maritime security
  • Risk management and port security
  • Contingency planning
  • The Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Incidents Management System (NIMS)
  • Testing training and planning through exercises and drills

Threat Mitigation Strategies

  • Mitigating pirate attacks
  • Hostage survival and rescue
  • Cargo container inspection techniques
  • Security equipment, systems, and devices used to detect contraband and unauthorised persons in a container

Information Security and Assurance

  • History of information security
  • The information security function in a maritime company
  • Key concepts in the field of information security
  • Essential Infosec objectives
  • Levels of computer security
  • Common vulnerabilities in the electronic commerce environment
  • Human threats to information security
  • Technical risks

Example Candidate Response Booklet

Example Candidate Response (ECR) Booklets are a source of crucial information for Centres and Candidates as they use real candidate responses. We ask Senior Examiners to comment on five or more responses in terms of why the mark was awarded with commentary about how to improve the answer (if necessary).

Recommended Reading

Main Text:

Maritime Security, M. McNicholas ( Butterworth Heinemann )

Indicative Text:

Alternative Text and Further Reading:

Maritime Security, S.Jones (Nautical Institute)

Safety Management, Prof.C.Kuo (Nautical Institute)