In cooperation with the Berufsgenossenschaft Verkehrswirtschaft Post-Logistik Telekommunikation (BG Verkehr), which is responsible for ships under the German flag, and the Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH), the BSI has published the circular 'ISM CYBER SECURITY 2020'.

The already established recommendation of the BG Verkehr for the implementation of the SMS was enriched by aspects of information security according to IT-Grundschutz and supplemented with practical implementation instructions from the two IT-Grundschutz profiles. Requirements for handling 'security-relevant events' according to the ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code) round off the recommendations. In addition, all common requirements (such as risk analysis) were consolidated and combined in the established methodology (SMS) in order to minimise the effort for users from the shipping companies and to avoid duplication.